Top 5 Dear Drebit Post for the Month of November

November is over and the Holiday season is in full swing. But even though we are busy practicing our caroling and searching for the best online bargains, we still have time to share the latest in business and financial news.

From filling you in about some of the topics we have covered in our weekly podcast to providing you with information and updates about unclaimed funds in Ohio and the Affordable Care Act – we were providing you with posts designed to help protect your finances, your identity and so much more.

Take a look to find out what our top 5 blog posts were in November and read up on anything you may have missed.

How Do I Avoid Obamacare Penalties? — The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has put a lot of stress on business owners over the last couple years, and 2016 will be no exception. However, if you look closely, you might be able to uncover areas of opportunity. There are three points all business owners should know to avoid penalties, read on to find out what they are.

WARNING: Tis The Season To Practice Safe Online Shopping Habits — While it may be the most wonderful time of the year, cyber criminals are looking for ways to stuff their own stockings – at your expense. The holiday season is also a busy time of the year for scammers because, in general, more money is being spent and more people are clicking through cyberspace for the best deals and tracking their purchases. KnowBe4 recently published a blog about the top five scams shoppers should be on the lookout for, and we wanted to pass these on to our readers. Consider the following information to be an early gift from us to you, and hopefully your bank account can welcome the New Year unscathed.

File and Suspend Strategy Suspended — Deciding when to claim your Social Security benefits is often one of the most significant financial decisions older Americans must make today because, for many, Social Security benefits make up a substantial portion of their retirement income. Unfortunately, Congress recently passed legislation that will put an end to two popular strategies being used to maximize benefits married couples receive in their golden years.

Do You Need to Send an Annual Notice to Your 401k Participants? — As we begin the last quarter of the year, if your company sponsors a calendar year 401k plan, don’t forget about participant notice requirements. They must be furnished by December 1 and may impact the operation or qualification of your plan. Here is a checklist that may be helpful, but check with us if you are not certain which of these requirements apply to your plan.

New Payment Option Available To Ohio Pass Through Entities — Do you currently enjoy the benefits associated with owning a pass through entity (PTE) in Ohio, including better tax treatment and limited liability protection? Well, earlier this month the Department of Taxation announced another little perk – online payments! According to the release, the Treasurer of Ohio is now accepting tax payments per its Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) program on its website.

We hope you enjoy the top five posts from November. We are always updating this page, so be sure to subscribe to Dear Drebit – or you can subscribe to our bi-weekly electronic newsletter – and never miss the critical information we provide to readers. You are also welcome to ask us a specific question about, well … just about anything finance or business related and one of our subject matter experts will provide you with a response. Just scroll up to the top of the page and fill out the form on the top, right corner.

Finally, don’t forget, you that you can always email Rea & Associates to have an in depth conversation about your existing personal or professional challenges. Our CPAs and business advisors are always happy to speak with you.

Phishing Scam Targets Tax Preparers To Get To Taxpayers

One thing you can do to help protect yourself from cyber criminals is to make sure your address bar reads “https” and NOT like the one pictured above. Read on for additional tips.

Fraudsters don’t take holidays. In fact, they tend to be more active this time of year because they believe we are more likely to let our guards down. Instead, I don’t intend on falling for any of their traps, and I encourage you to do the same.

It’s A Trap

We recently published a blog post with tips to help online shoppers protect themselves against some of the more common tactics used by cyber criminals. From click bait to phishing emails, every link, sponsored post and flashing banner ad is a potential threat and we encourage you to protect yourself at all costs.

For example, you likely receive regular electronic correspondence from companies, organizations, groups and other reputable groups. In fact, you probably willingly provided them with your email address. You may even trust these contacts so much that you never thinking twice about whether their email is valid, and that’s what criminals are counting on. Nobody is immune.

A current scam finding its way into inboxes across the country is targeting tax preparers. The email, which is supposedly being sent by the IRS, looks legit and includes the agency’s letterhead, logo and copyright language, among other information designed to add credibility to the piece. But there’s a problem – this email is not official IRS correspondence. Instead, it’s being sent by cyber criminals who are looking to capture usernames and passwords to gain access to taxpayers’ sensitive data.

We’re Not Falling For It

The American Institute of CPAs reached out to the IRS to verify whether the email in question is, indeed, a phishing scam. The government agency confirmed that the email was a scam and were quick to advise recipients to delete the message immediately.

This is just one example of a phishing scam in action. Emails like these are distributed every day and, oftentimes, they come from trusted businesses, organizations or people. As cyber threats continue to be rampant in our society, we must never allow ourselves to become complacent.

What You Can Do

Here are some tips to help keep you safe.

Do It Yourself – Never click on hyperlinks found within the body text of the email – especially if you received the message from an unknown sender. If you do want to check the validity of an offer or content, manually type the URL into your web browser. Same results, less risk.

‘S’ For Safety – If confidential information is being traded, take a look at your address bar to make sure it reads “https” rather than the standard “http” to be sure the web page you are visiting is, indeed, secure.

If It Pops, Run – Sometimes, the best and easiest strategy you can take to protect yourself from scammers is to configure your computer’s settings and buy and install the proper tools. We recommend disabling all popups, keeping an updated antivirus, use anti-spam and anti-spy software and install and maintain a firewall. Cyber criminals are always looking for ways to get around these measures, but they still provide you with a great first defense.

Watch Your Back With A Backup – We keep a lot of irreplaceable items on our computers and, to many, the thought of permanently losing their data, photos and other documents is terrifying. One way to take the power away from the scammers is to create and maintain a backup of your data – especially when considering the very real threat of ransomware. That way, if something were to happen, you wouldn’t lose these vital items.

Education Is Power – These criminals are slick and they are always finding new ways to take what belongs to you. So, one of the absolute best ways to guard against an attack is to educate yourself on current cybercrimes, identity theft trends and tactics being used by fraudsters.

Ohio Reports $2.8B In Unclaimed Funds

Businesses are required to report unclaimed funds to the state of Ohio every year. Oftentimes, these unclaimed funds could be in the form of uncashed checks, rent or utility deposits that were never deposited or savings accounts that may have been forgotten, for example.

Businesses are responsible for notifying account holders of their unclaimed funds by using the official Notice of Unclaimed Funds form (also known as the OUF-8), though it’s not uncommon for these notices to fall through the cracks.

In 2015, Ohio is reporting that there is $2.3 billion in unclaimed funds to be collected in 2015. So far this year, Ohioans have received $34.4 million with an average claim of $2,100. In 2015, Ohio citizens claimed about $76 million in unclaimed funds.

Not sure if you have a forgotten checking account? Or was there a deposit that never made it to the bank? Check to see if you can make a claim for some of these unclaimed dollars, visit the Department of Commerce website or call the state agency.

Revenue Growth Isn’t Always The Solution

Your revenue is like the water level. When it’s high, it hides a lot; but when it’s low, problems begin to reveal themselves. Unfortunately, some business owners believe that the best way to fix their business is by adding revenue. What they don’t realize is that this tactic is simply masking the real problem.

Have you ever been white water rafting? When the water is high, you glide effortlessly through the river, expertly navigating the bends and slicing through the current – it’s exhilarating. Flash forward a few months later, after the water level has dropped, and it’s a completely different story. Where it was once smooth sailing, you are now confronted with a scattering of rocks, boulders, logs and branches. Your ability to progress through the course takes a hit.

Your revenue is like the water level in this example. When it’s high, it hides a lot; but when it’s low, problems begin to reveal themselves. Unfortunately, some business owners believe that the best way to fix their business is by adding revenue. What they don’t realize is that this tactic is simply masking the real problem.

Sometimes, More Is Less

If you want your business to be healthier, you can’t rely on revenue growth to solve your problems. In fact, you may find greater success if you start thinking small.

Businesses that are healthy tend to be able to generate healthy cash flow. This means that you need to pay attention to more than just your ability to generate revenue. For example, you could find great success if you were to tighten up your billing strategy. Oftentimes, business owners will only focus on their monthly revenue and forget to consider how long it actually takes for the money to roll in. Even though your company’s revenue looks great for the month of July, it could be September (or later) before you actually get paid. In the meantime, you are stuck playing the waiting game.

Instead of looking for more customers to cover the difference, start thinking small. Get rid of the extra baggage that’s holding you down. Revenue doesn’t mean a whole lot unless you have the cash to back it up. To that point, it may be time to stop doing business with clients who aren’t prompt when it’s time to pay their bills on time. Instead, be more selective when choosing who you will do business with.

What’s Holding You Back?

It can be a lot of work to identify what’s holding you back and sometimes you need to look at your business from a different perspective, some business owners find great success simply asking for help from an outsider. There is no one-size-fits all solution. The best way to take control of your business is to work with a trusted advisor.

A great place to start is by listening to our podcast, Unsuitable on Rea Radio. Episode 10: The Revenue Sin covers business health and what you can do to strengthen your cash flow. When you are done, click here for additional resources.

Do you have a business question you need help solving? Send it to podcast@reacpa.com and let us know what issues are challenging your business. We could feature your question on an upcoming episode of Unsuitable or in a blog post.

What is your business made of? If it’s a pass through entity, you now have an easier way to pay your tax bills. Read on to learn more.

Do you currently enjoy the benefits associated with owning a pass through entity (PTE) in Ohio, including better tax treatment and limited liability protection? Well, earlier this month the Department of Taxation announced another little perk – online payments! According to the release, the Treasurer of Ohio is now accepting tax payments per its Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) program on its website. This announcement impacts:

EFT, according to the Treasurer’s Office, is a secure, online payment option for those seeking a convenient way to pay recurring commercial activity, corporate franchise, sales, streamlined, use, withholding and now pass through entity taxes. To utilize this online payment system, you must have a federal employer identification number.

Even though the online payment process is in full swing, pass through entities are still unable to register electronically. Once completed, you can submit the form to the Electronic Payments Unit of the Treasurer’s Office.

What Does Having The Right Business Structure Mean To You?

Did you know that business structure plays a huge role when determining what your business can and cannot do? It also helps determine your tax liability. Take a look at the slideshow below to learn more or click here to learn even more about the business structures that are available to you. You can also email Rea & Associates if you have additional questions.

President Barack Obama signed legislation on Nov. 2 to put an end to the file and suspend strategy. But, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s too late to act. There is a six-month window of opportunity, as long as both spouses were born on or before April 30, 1950. Keep in mind that you are up against a May 1, 2016, deadline.

Deciding when to claim your Social Security benefits is often one of the most significant financial decisions older Americans must make today because, for many, Social Security benefits make up a substantial portion of their retirement income. Unfortunately, Congress recently passed legislation that will put an end to two popular strategies being used to maximize benefits married couples receive in their golden years.

The strategies that are scheduled to be phased out are commonly known as “File and Suspend” and the Restricted Application for Spousal Benefits. These strategies have made it possible for couples to delay laying claim to their individual benefits based on their earnings while still claiming a spousal benefit based on the other’s earnings – as long as both are 66 or older.

How Does File And Suspend Work?

To receive the spousal benefit, one individual would file for their Social Security benefits – then immediately suspend them. The other spouse would then file a restricted application to collect only the spousal benefit rather than the benefit they earned as an individual, even if their individual would have been higher. By employing this strategy, both could increase their earned benefits by taking advantage of the option to delay retirement credits, which would increase their earned benefit by up to 8 percent for each year the benefit is delayed until the individual reaches 70 years of age.

Is It Too Late To Take Advantage Of This Strategy?

President Barack Obama signed legislation on Nov. 2 to put an end to the file and suspend strategy. But, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s too late to act. There is a six-month window of opportunity, as long as both spouses were born on or before April 30, 1950. Keep in mind that you are up against a May 1, 2016, deadline.

What About The Couples Who Are Already Receiving Benefits?

Fortunately, the couples already using these strategies will be grandfathered in under the new law and will not be asked to pay back any of the benefits they have received to date. Furthermore, they will continue to receive the benefits they have already been granted. The new law will not impact their current Social Security income, which is why it’s so important for eligible couples to take advantage of this 6-month window.

What Happens After The 6-Month Window Closes?

Moving forward, under the new law, individuals will still have the ability to suspend their benefits, but the Social Security Administration will not allow spousal or dependent child benefits based on the earnings of someone who has suspended their own benefits. In other words, to claim a spousal benefit, the earned benefits have to be paid out as well.

When filing for retirement benefits (other than with a restricted application), spouses will effectively claim their earned benefit and their spousal benefit. They will then receive the greater amount.

Fortunately, there are still opportunities to maximize your Social Security benefits. A financial advisor can you help navigate the terrain. There are also free tools available to help you find out how much you can expect to collect from Social Security when you finally decide to claim the benefit. The Social Security calculator is located here. You can also visit the Social Security website to view your Social Security Account Statement. To discover more retirement strategies, check out one of the articles below or email Rea & Associates and ask to speak with a retirement planning expert.

Keep your online Holiday shopping secure with these five tips from KnowBe4.

While it may be the most wonderful time of the year, cyber criminals are looking for ways to stuff their own stockings – at your expense. The holiday season is also a busy time of the year for scammers because, in general, more money is being spent and more people are clicking through cyberspace for the best deals and tracking their purchases. KnowBe4 recently published a blog about the top five scams shoppers should be on the lookout for, and I wanted to pass these on to our readers. Consider the following information to be an early gift from me to you, and hopefully your bank account can welcome the New Year unscathed.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, which means shoppers are already planning their early-morning shopping strategies. Sure there are great deals up for grabs, but there are also scammers looking forward to feeding on the hype in the hopes that you will let your guard down. Believe it or not, it can be pretty easy to mistakenly fall for those offers that appear to be too good to be true simply because we have become conditioned to believe that these deals are part of the overall allure. Tip: Before completing the transaction, visit the retailer’s actual website to make sure the deal is valid.

2. Don’t Miss This Deal – Your Facebook Friend Didn’t

Just because one of your friends shared a coupon or voucher on Facebook or another social media site, doesn’t mean it’s legit. In fact, hacked social media accounts are pretty common. Scammers like this approach because they know that you are more willing to take the bait if the scam comes from somebody you trust. If one of your friends is guilty of passing along some of these not-so-helpful posts, give them a call or send them a text to find out more. Chances are, you will be the one helping them out by letting them know that their account has been compromised.

3. What Do You Mean ‘There’s A Problem’?!

You’ve shopped, dropped and paid for two-day shipping and it looks like you will have your gifts in time for the next family gathering. But then your inbox gets hit with an urgent message from UPS or FedEx notifying you that there may be a problem with the delivery of your package. Fortunately, the email includes a link for you to click on to get the issue resolved. STOP! This is a common phishing scam. Scammers will often use this tactic in the hopes that you will click on the link. Before you know it, your computer has been infected with a virus … or worse – ransomware.

4. Click Here For A Refund

Similar to the UPS/FedEx scam identified above, this tactic is another attempt to get the unsuspecting consumer to click on an infected link. In this scenario, you might receive an email from a major online retailer – Amazon, eBay, etc. – with the message that there’s a “wrong transaction,” which requires you to click on a link to secure your refund. Instead of a refund, when you click on the link you will receive the gift of a security breech instead. Clicking on these links simply opens the door for scammers to access to your personal information, which will then be sold to the highest bidder and used against you later.

5. Use The Force Against Phishing Scams

Wouldn’t it be nice to win tickets to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens when it is released on Dec. 18? Sure, but given what you know now, would you be willing to take the risk and click on the link in your email to find out if the offer is real? Scammers use a variety of tactics to get you to make a mistake. This scam, for example, is another way popular culture is being used against unsuspecting victims.

Remember, whether it’s a deal, contest, sale, or any other type of offer, if it looks unbelievable or questionable (even if it appears to have been sent from a trusted source), don’t click on the link or open an attachment. If you have doubt, delete! KnowBe4 also offers readers two other great tips to keep your private information and your bank account safe 365 days a year:

Never use a debit card online. Cyber criminals can (and will) wipe out your bank account in seconds once they gain access. You can protect yourself by using a credit card.

Never use your credit card to shop when your computer is connected to an insecure public Wi-Fi. All online shopping should always be done on over a secure, private internet connection.

Top 5 Blog Posts For Business Leaders in October

Can you believe it is already November? October seemed to fly by – and sharing top financial advice and business news certainly keeps a frog busy! Last month, we featured stories about trends occurring in the manufacturing industry, advised readers to start preparing for the upcoming 2016 tax season, shared news of Rea & Associate’s new podcast and so much more. I didn’t want you to miss out! Take a look at some of our most popular posts.

Top 5 Posts In October

Below are the five most read posts from October. Which one was your favorite?

Can’t Collect Payments? New Chip Technology Could Be Hurting Business’s Bottom Lines – Netflix, known for offering award-winning shows like House of Cards and Orange is the New Black to users online recently reported a lack-luster third quarter performance. The company points to its inability to collect payments from users who have not yet updated their Netflix account information to reflect new payment card information they may have been issued as a result of the new EMV technology.

Don’t Get Blown Away By A Cash Windfall – Before you make a move with your money, take a little time to think about you want to do with your cash and consider getting some advice from a financial professional and review these four tips for managing sudden wealth.

What Do I Need To Know About Unclaimed Property in Ohio? – We have all lost things from time to time. Our keys, our phones, and sometimes it seems our minds. But did you know that more than 200,000 Ohioans have lost financial assets worth more than $1 billion? As a result and in an effort to protect property rights and reunite the owners with their rightful funds, Ohio enacted unclaimed property laws.

You guys keep me busy and I am thankful for that! Enjoy October’s top 5 posts and don’t forget that I am always available to answer your questions as well. Use the form at the top, right of this page and submit your question today. The answer to your question will be featured in an upcoming blog post. You can also email Rea & Associates to discuss your financial and business concerns one-on-one with an industry expert.

Kyle Stemple discusses Lean with Mark Van Benschoten on Episode 8 of Unsuitable on Rea Radio. You can find all our podcasts at www.reacpa.com/podcast.

Those in the manufacturing industry are familiar with the significance of implementing tactics to increase efficiency and effectiveness throughout the organization. But did you know that these same concepts can benefit businesses outside of the manufacturing realm?

Consider the five key principles identified in Jim Womack’s book, The Machine that Changed the World and think about how they relate to your company.

The customer defines value.

The company must focus on eliminating waste. (Waste is defined as any activity that doesn’t add value to the company.)

The customer establishes pull.

The company must involve and empower people who add value.

Total cost is the ultimate performance metric.

Now, reflecting on these principles, how can you optimize performance of your people while optimizing the customer experience?

Focus On The Big Picture

Once you’ve decided to embrace Lean in your business, you need to step back and map out your existing processes. If, at the end of this mapping exercise, the lines that guide you through your processes begin to look like a plate of spaghetti, you’ve got a problem.

You want to be successful. To do that, you must have a clear understanding of what “success” looks like to you. A good way to do this is to identify challenges (present and future) that may hinder you from realizing your maximum potential. Once you know what you are looking for, you can generate proactive solutions – ultimately increasing your efficiency.

Think Lean

Everything we do, whether it’s in our personal life, in our business life, nonprofit, for-profit … everything we do – is all determined by processes.

You may consider Lean Six Sigma to be a tactic solely for manufacturing companies. But Lean can actually be very valuable to all types of companies. But first, you have to understand the Lean concept. First, Lean is not “headcount reduction” and thinking of it as such could result in greater long-term problems. When you decide to embrace a Lean approach to business, you should actually be committed to:

Things Are not Always What They Seem

When it looks like you’ve solved your efficiency problems, step back and reassess. Never forget, Lean is about embracing continuous improvement. If you really start digging and asking the right questions, you are going to get answers – and your business’s processes will continue to improve.

When you embark on your Lean journey, financial struggles early on are normal. It can be scary at first, but if you are persistent, you will ultimately realize positive results. Think about it this way, traditional absorption accounting allocates overhead to inventory. As inventories are reduced in the interest of becoming lean, prior period costs are expensed in the current period. When your finance experts and executive leadership team aren’t aware of this transitional lag, they may mistakenly associate Lean with declining profits. Instead, keep going – pretty soon you should be able to notice improvements to your company’s cash flow.

Take The Plunge

Your Lean initiative will only be successful if management commits to its success. Therefore, they must fully commit to the concept while taking the time to become familiar with the benefits of Lean. Sure, dipping your toe in and testing the waters may seem like a safe bet, but unless you take the full plunge, you will never realize your company’s full potential and world-class results.

Lean continues to evolve from a manufacturing concept to one likened to secret weapon used to boost the effectiveness of office and administrative processes (and so much more). In this era when continued improvement is idealized, Lean has emerged as the answer. Could your company benefit by becoming Lean? Listen to this 17-minute podcast to find out.

Some organizations switch auditors regularly — that can mean going to a new firm or just getting a new lead auditor — but there can be both advantages and disadvantages to this practice.

Although the Securities and Exchange Commission regulates how often public companies need to switch lead auditors, there’s no requirement for anyone else to do so. It’s individually determined by the organization.

Mark Van Benschoten recently sat down with Smart Business to discuss the pros and cons of an auditor rotation and also best practices. To read the full article, check it out on Smart Business’s website.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has put a lot of stress on business owners over the last couple years, and 2016 will be no exception. However, if you look closely, you might be able to uncover areas of opportunity. Here are three points all business owners should know to avoid penalties:

Learn more about ways to avoid Affordable Care Act penalties by listening to our podcast, “Unsuitable on Rea Radio.” Episode 5, “Don’t Get Burned By Obamacare.”

Large employers (50+ full time employees) have to worry about large employer reporting and potential pay or play penalties (roughly $2,000 per employee annually).

All employers need to avoid excise taxes for discrimination and violating the ACA’s “all or nothing” mandate. These are business busters – $100 per employee, per day for noncompliance – meaning you could owe the government as much as $36,500 per employee, per year! Excise taxes can be triggered by continuing to do things you’ve always done, such as offering reimbursement arrangements to your employees.

Employers also have the opportunity to review their insurance options and compensation structure. SHOP, drop, roll (“traditional” insurance), self-insure, private exchange and models like reference-based pricing are all options to explore. Dropping insurance can often actually result in less expenses and improved benefits for the employers and employees alike. In some industries this can also be a deterrent to competing businesses that are trying to recruit your workforce.

Don’t wait any longer. Work with an ACA expert who can help you determine the best option for your business while helping you identify areas of opportunity and risk. To learn more, listen to our podcast, “Unsuitable on Rea Radio.” Episode 5, “Don’t Get Burned By Obamacare,” covers this topic in more detail. Check it out at www.reacpa.com/podcast.

It doesn’t matter if you have a lot of assets to pass on or very few, estate planning is one of the best things you can do for yourself and for those you love.

Life is full of enjoyable experiences. Spending time with family and friends, hiking through the woods, spending the afternoon on the lake, immersing yourself in a hobby – these are the moments we live for. What if you could give yourself the opportunity to make those moments more enjoyable? Would you take that opportunity?

Every time you avoid the conversation about estate planning you miss out on a chance to make this period of your life even more enjoyable – for you, and for your loved ones. Once you have made your plans with regard to what you want to happen after your death, those thoughts are no longer in the back of your mind. They are decided and you can truly enjoy the moment with your friends and family.

Three Things Everybody Should Know About Estate Planning

Estate planning is for everybody. Estate planning isn’t just dependent on your assets; it’s about identifying what you want to happen after you pass away. Who do you want to take care of your children, for example, and do you want that person to be financially responsible for them as well – they don’t necessarily have to be the same people. When you take control of your estate planning, you are effectively helping to ease the burden that is already felt by your loved ones. Not only will you have already made the difficult decisions, but you can do so in a way that provides additional benefits for your heirs while securing your legacy.

If you have an IRA, don’t forget to name your contingent beneficiary. It’s common to have an IRA through your employer, but oftentimes naming the IRA’s contingent beneficiary is forgotten. Usually it’s your spouse, but if your spouse has already passed away, you need to make sure to name a new contingent beneficiary. This is just one simple way to plan ahead, but it’s frequently overlooked.

Probate Court isn’t always a bad thing. You hear people say things like: “You want to avoid probate at all costs.” But that’s not necessarily the case. For example, imagine that you’ve made plans to have all your assets go directly to your three children – avoiding the probate process altogether. When it comes time to pay for your funeral, you would hope that your three children would split the cost three ways without much ado. But, without Probate Court to mediate the situation, one child could decide that they don’t want to pay their portion, which would leave the other two children with the bill. When you bring probate into the equation, you help ensure that there is enough money available to cover these necessary funeral expenses.

Find Time To Enjoy More

It doesn’t matter if you have a lot of assets to pass on or very few, estate planning is one of the best things you can do for yourself and for those you love. The sooner you start planning yours, the sooner you can get back to enjoying the moments that truly make life worth living.

EMV Technology Impacts Netflix’s Q3 Earnings

Netflix, known for offering award-winning shows like House of Cards and Orange is the New Black to users online recently reported a lack-luster third quarter performance. The company points to its inability to collect payments from users who have not yet updated their Netflix account information to reflect new payment card information they may have been issued as a result of the new EMV technology.

Since the United States made the switch to EMV (EuroPay, Mastercard and Visa) chip technology in October, some companies are beginning to report unexpected side effects – sluggish growth in the third quarter. A recent story from Patrick Kulp on Mashable, a global media company, reported that Netflix’s lack-luster third quarter earnings may be directly linked to the new technology.

Why? Because, according to Kulp, “[many] Netflix users may not want to go through the hassle of updating their payment records, and some may even use the switch as an excuse to bail on the service. As a result, the company can’t collect their fees.” Now, as third quarter earnings continue to roll in, business analysts are beginning to speculate as to what this means for businesses hoping to finish the year on a high note.

Why Was EMV Implemented?

In September, I provided insight into the reasoning behind the new chip-based technology, which pointed to the increasing number of credit card breaches as the reasoning behind the change. Over the years millions of credit card numbers and associated data have been stolen, leaving the credit card industry on the hook for the fraudulent transactions. In an effort to transfer liability from payment card companies to individual businesses, while providing greater protection to users against credit card fraud, the PCI Security Council supported the addition of EMV chip technology to the existing PCI (Payment Card Industry) Security Requirements.

The ultimate goal of EMV is to stop and prevent further fraudulent activity. Success has already been noted in countries outside the U.S. “Currently, almost half of the world’s credit card fraud happens in the U.S. where magnetic stripe technology is the standard,” stated David Navetta and Susan Ross in a blog on Data Protection Report. “Outside the U.S., an estimated 40 percent of the world’s cards and 70 percent of the terminals already use the EMV technology. These countries are reporting significantly lower counterfeit fraud levels with EMV cards than with the magnetic stripe cards.”

Unintended Outcomes

Businesses have rushed to accommodate the transition to avoid liability for any losses that result from fraudulent transactions. From installing devices that read the new chips, to training employees to address any questions and concerns that may come up during the payment process. Unfortunately, in order to bring the American public up to speed, payment card insurers are issuing new chip-enabled cards to card holders and, in many cases, users are being issued new card numbers as well.

Companies such as Netflix are beginning to feel the pinch as they are realizing that their customers are in no hurry to update their card numbers in their accounts, which means the company can’t collect subscription payments.

“Our over-forecast in the US for Q3 was due to slightly higher-than-expected involuntary churn (inability to collect), which we believe was driven in part by the ongoing transition to chip-based credit and debit cards,” the company said in its earnings release.

Is Your Business Witnessing Unexpected Consequences?

Third-quarter earnings are just beginning to be reported, which means we are unable to adequately identify how widespread this particular issue is.

So, we want to hear from you. Since the EMV chip technology went into effect on Oct. 1, what has your experience been? Have you had trouble collecting renewal payments from your customers? Comment below or send us a quick email.

If you have a specific question about EMV technology or another business challenge, you can always let us know by filling out the brief form at the top, right side of this page. And don’t forget to subscribe to Dear Drebit to get great business tips and advice delivered directly to your inbox!

Without the tax deduction, you will pay a little more in income taxes but you will be left with more money in your bank account at the end of the day.

Have you ever heard someone say they couldn’t afford to pay off their loan because they would lose the interest deduction on their tax return?

Although it’s true that the taxpayer will be able to deduct their loan interest at tax time, there’s a lot more to consider – read on to learn more about the tax treatment of loans and interest to identify a repayment strategy that works best for you.

It Is Worth It To Be In Debt?

Let’s assume that you are in the 25 percent tax bracket, which means that for every dollar you pay the bank in interest, the government will give you 25 cents back in tax savings. BUT – you have to remember that you are still out of pocket 75 cents of every dollar you pay the bank in interest. From an overall cash flow standpoint, that doesn’t really sound like a winning strategy to me.

Even though it would be nice to have a tax break to look forward to in the spring, you will ultimately end up paying more over the duration of your repayment period if you choose not to pay your loan off. That being said, if you have the funds available to pay off the principal loan balance you will save yourself the cost of the interest you are being charged by the bank.

Without the tax deduction, you will pay a little more in income taxes but you will be left with more money in your bank account at the end of the day.

Possible Reasons to Hold On To Your Loan

Investment Opportunities

Let’s say your loan balance is $50,000. If you have $50,000 of excess funds available to pay off your loan, you may also want to consider what your investment options are if you didn’t pay that loan off. Could you earn a rate of return greater than the interest rate you are paying on your loan? If so, then you may be better off keeping the loan and investing your excess funds.

Liquidity

Another consideration is the liquidity. You may have the funds to pay off the loan but you may want to keep a reserve of funds for an emergency or unknown need that may arise. Everyone has their own comfort level when it comes to maintaining an excess supply of cash reserves and your decision may vary whether you are holding on to a home mortgage loan or a business loan. As a business owner, for example, you might find it to be more beneficial to keep the borrowed money readily available to cover any fluctuations pertaining to your company’s equipment or inventory needs. Or you may want to keep a reserve of funds to get through your slow season.

Depending on where you are with your business or personal finances, you’ll want to consider various factors when deciding if you should pay off your mortgage or business loan. If you are only looking at the tax savings, then paying off the loan is likely your best option. However, it may also be important to consider other factors such as alternative investment options and liquidity. If you have questions about paying off your loan, email your Rea advisor.

It seems like when the holiday season comes around everybody does their best to put their best foot forward and to portray the image of “the flawless family.” From the turkey dinner on Thanksgiving, to the Christmas cards featuring happy, loving families – we do all we can just to make sure everything is … perfect.

The holiday season is also notorious for other less-than-perfect qualities, such as family fights, holiday shopping stress and, ultimately, increased depression and anxiety.

Now imagine you are battling the normal holiday stressors while trying to manage a family business. And what if your business is in crisis mode and your life, the future of your family members and the sustainability of your company hangs in the balance?

When you own a business with family or friends you already run the risk of business matters spilling over into your personal affairs. But when you haven’t invested the time and resources needed to plan ahead, you are leaving your business and your family vulnerable. Take control of the future of your business and the general well-being of your family all year long by knowing the true value of your business and investing in a proper buy-sell agreement.

I know what you’re thinking – listening to a podcast from an accounting firm is probably about as entertaining and insightful as watching paint dry. But Unsuitable on Rea Radio isn’t your typical accounting podcast, and here’s why.

Real, Simple Solutions

Who doesn’t like a good story? What about one that leaves you with greater insight into the financial wellness of your own company? And if you had a better idea of how other successful entrepreneurs manage their wealth, wouldn’t you try to follow their lead?

The professionals at Rea have seen a lot over the last several decades and they are willing to open the curtain just enough to provide you with the information to forge your own success. And on Unsuitable, they do just that.

An Effective Kick In The Pants

Unsuitable offers a little something for everybody and I am confident that this is a show that will not only help provide you with more clarity, but will motivate you to take the next step as a professional and as a business leader.

And this is just the beginning. Look for episodes highlighting investment strategies, Affordable Care Act compliance and retirement preparedness – just to name a few.

Accountants Like To Laugh Too

This may come as a surprise to many since those in the accounting profession tend to be thought of as dry, stuffy, number-crunching fanatics, but that’s just not true – well, most of the time. The Rea team consists of some pretty humorous, outgoing folks and I think that the diverse sense of humor of our team shines through. Mark Van Benschoten, the host of the show, helps a lot, of course. He does an excellent job addressing each guest and makes them feel comfortable … then the show gets really good.

Just The Right Length

Our firm has 11 offices throughout Ohio, which means I do a lot of driving. When I’m on the road I like to listen to podcasts – and there are a lot of them out there! What I really like about Unsuitable, is that it’s long enough to be really informative and wraps up nicely before it reaches the point where I am wishing it would end. In fact, when it does end I find myself wanting to start the next one. Mark and his guests get right to the point of the show, provide examples and offer hard-hitting advice in a concise, enjoyable format – all while having a great time and avoiding stuffy accounting jargon.

It’s time to do your business tax planning and, just like a doctor’s check-up, if you decide to skip it, you may regret it.

You could face a larger tax bill because you weren’t in close enough contact with your advisers when you did a transaction, changed a policy or practice, or amended what you are doing with insurance. You may encounter wide swings in income and tax due from one year to the next if you don’t check in with your advisers.

Smart Business recently interviewed Tracy Kaufman and Joe Popp about tax strategies business can implement now to prepare for the upcoming 2016 tax season. Want to learn more and see what you can start doing now? Check out the interview on Smart Business’s website.

What to read more posts about tax planning strategies? Check these out:

Today, the team at Rea & Associates is celebrating you – our manufacturing leaders who continue to work hard to promote the American values that continue to make our country a great place to live, work and play. We are proud to stand at your side as you educate our citizens about the value of seeking prosperity through a career in the skilled trades; and we are united in the mission to build strong, sustainable communities – both locally and throughout our great nation. The manufacturing industry is undoubtedly the cornerstone of the American economy and we are proud to stand with you as you continue produce and disperse high-quality products, employ countless hard-working men and women, and give your ongoing support to our local and national educational systems, nonprofit organizations and business communities. You, our manufacturing leaders, have helped shape our history; and you will continue to forge our future. Thank you for all that you do. This year, in celebration of Manufacturing Day 2015, we had the opportunity to speak with manufacturing leaders who are doing great things throughout Ohio to find out what they consider to be some of the most challenging aspects of owning a manufacturing business and they had a lot to say about today’s regulatory roadblocks.

Sharing top financial and business news keeps a frog busy. In September he helped get the word out about new changes within the credit card industry, fraud, cyber security … and even shared a little bit of personal finance advice.

Top 5 Insights

But, what were you reading? Great question! Below is a quick recap of the top blog post from September. If you haven’t already, take a look. Some of these tips could save you and your business a lot of money!

Fraudulent Credit Card Transactions Will Become Merchant’s Problem On Oct. 1 – As of Oct. 1, 2015, the liability for fraudulent transactions will no longer be assumed by the credit card issuing institution. Instead, if you (the merchant) fail to adopt EMV technology, your business will be responsible for any loss that results from a fraudulent transaction. Is your business ready?

Who Is That Email Really From? – E-mail Account Compromise (EAC) is a sophisticated scam that uses legitimate email accounts that have been compromised to target unsuspecting victims, oftentimes tricking even the most tech-savvy individuals. Want to know how to protect your email? Read on.

How Far Back Can The IRS Go For Tax Auditing? – As a CPA I am frequently asked, “How far back can the IRS look to audit my tax return?” That’s a great question. Can the IRS go back and audit your tax return from five years ago? 10 years ago? 25 years ago? Before you start to panic, rest assured that the IRS has a statute of limitations in place that generally puts a limit on the time allowed to audit you and assess additional tax. Keep reading to find out how far back they can go.

Drebit is glad that you’ve been finding the tips and insight shared on his blog to be valuable and we want to keep providing you with the information and advice that matters most to you. So, if you’ve got a burning financial or business question? Ask away, Drebit – and the bright team at Rea – is here to help!

After following through with a 13-week cash flow for almost a year, you will have better insight into how to spend your profits to help your business generate additional cash and sales. Visit www.reacpa.com/podcast to learn more and listen to Rea’s podcast — Unsuitable on Rea Radio.

Many business owners find difficulty coming to terms with their financial obligations. They will dedicate long hours combing through their company’s expenses, invoices and payroll to arrive at an annual budget, only to let the report sit until it’s time to repeat the exercise again a year later. A 13-week rolling cash flow helps take the stress off business owners when it comes time to make important strategic decisions throughout the year. But in order to get your company back on the right track, you must be ready to change the way you look at your company’s finances. These five financial secrets of successful business owners will get you on the right track.

1) Know how much cash you have on hand.

We’re talking about tangible cash here; and to know how much you actually have on hand you will have to look beyond the ending balance on your business’s bank statement while not letting yourself get caught up in a sea of technical information, graphs and presentations. The three most important questions you should be asking every week are:

How much money do we have in the bank?

What is our accounts receivable balance?

Who do we owe and how much we owe them?

The other information and reports are still important, they just aren’t as critical when you have to make big decisions without a lot of time to ponder your company’s short- and long-term financial state.

2) Understand your billing practices.

To get an accurate picture of your company’s cash flow, you will need to take a closer look at your current billing practices to find out if you are getting your bills out on a timely basis. Don’t be tempted to gloss over this step. It may surprise you to learn that a lot of decision-makers and business owners think they are on top of their billing activity, only to learn that they’re not. A 13-week cash flow budget will expose this weakness and will get you back on track.

3) Delegate ownership of your cash flow.

We are all busy and it’s easy to be enthusiastic about implementing a 13-week cash flow strategy — in theory. But when it’s time to actually put your strategy into action it’s easy to blame “lack of time” for why you put it off. The good news is that you can delegate the work to someone who has the time. You really can’t afford to ignore your cash flow. When you understand where your money is coming in from and where it’s going, you will begin to see positive results.

4) Review your cash flow projection often.

While it’s great to write out an annual budget or a three-year-projection, most owners will push the document to the side … where it will begin to gather dust. Then, when the day comes when you need to know the financial state of your company for decision-making purposes, you are left with inaccurate, outdated information. When this happens, your effectiveness and accuracy as a leader is challenged. It doesn’t have to be though. When you review your cash flow regularly, you arm yourself with the tools need to make financially strategic decisions. For example, after following through with a 13-week cash flow for nearly a year, you will gain greater insight into how to spend your business profits to help generate the additional cash and sales needed to facilitate sustained growth.

5) Put your accrual basis profit in its place.

While you may still need to have an accrual statement or generally accepted accounting principle statement to appease regulatory agencies, you would do well to remember that when it comes to the lifeblood of your business, cash flow is king. In all likelihood, businesses of all sizes should consider keeping two sets of records — an accrual and a cash basis statement — to maintain your company’s compliance among all stakeholders.

You can’t spend accrual basis profit. You can, however, spend cash basis profit. Which is why, at the end of the day, you’ll find that your banker, your lender, your shareholders, etc. … will take more interest in your cash flow strategy and your cash flow budget than your other reports.

Want to learn more? Click here to listen to Unsuitable on Rea Radio and find out “Why $1 Million Doesn’t Matter.”

4 Tips for Managing Sudden Wealth

Before you make a move with your money, take a little time to think about you want to do with your cash and consider getting some advice from a financial professional and review these four tips for managing sudden wealth.

Congratulations – you just won the lottery! Or, in a more realistic scenario, a significant amount of money has landed in your lap through an inheritance or the sale of property.

Now what?

As many who have been in your shoes will attest, it’s important to pause, take a step back, and evaluate your options before making any big financial decisions. Sure, that brand new sports car would look
great in your driveway, but will you regret spending the money down the road? Significant money creates many opportunities. Some? Wonderful. Others? Money pits.

Before you make a move with your money, think it through and talk to a pro. The truth is, there’s no right answer, as no two financial situations are exactly alike. But these four steps will help you decide what’s best for you.

SLOW DOWN. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of new wealth, and the tailspin that can ensue. But don’t allow yourself to lose your footing and don’t be tempted to make excuses for reckless spending. Avoid making any significant or impulsive purchases for at least a month or two. Take a step back from the moment and think long-term … what sort of financial goals do you have for the future? How do you really want to spend this money? Begin thinking about this and write down your thoughts. Writing down goals and thoughts is a proven method of helping you achieve your goals. It’s also helpful to have these things in writing when you meet with your advisors.

FAIL FORWARD. Think about some of your past financial blunders. We’ve all made mistakes – but they’re only truly mistakes if you don’t learn something and prevent them from happening again. You know yourself better than anyone, and you owe yourself this honest examination. Use your missteps to your advantage.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK. If your decisions affect others, talk with them before acting. If someone has an investment idea, consider whether it’s too good to be true. If you are approached to help a charitable cause, ask yourself if it’s something you’re passionate about. And make sure you have an understanding of the organization. You should also find out if they will publicize your contribution.

CONSULT WITH A PRO. Navigating new wealth is complicated, and it’s imperative you find experts to help guide you through the process. Talk with a few people you trust and respect. If an advisor’s name is mentioned more than once, it’s probably someone you should talk to. If you already have an advisor, consider whether or not they are up to the task at hand. You’ll want to work with a CPA, attorney and investment advisor. Be prepared to invest some time meeting with each advisor in an effort to decide who to hire. Each one will play a different, but valuable role. Depending on your situation, you could lose a chunk of your newfound wealth to income taxes, so be sure to talk to a CPA with a specialty in income tax. You will want to know what you owe and when you owe it. More importantly, you’ll want to learn if you can avoid, reduce or defer any of the tax.

Finally, before selecting the advisors you want to work with be sure you understand all of the fees involved with their services up-front. Be prepared to get what you pay for.

Whatever the reason for your windfall, make sure you take the time to respect it – and your financial future. Email Rea & Associates to learn more about managing sudden wealth.

Does a company that doesn’t physically swipe credit cards have to worry about increased liability when the new EMV rules are implemented in October?

Dear Drebit: Does a company that doesn’t physically swipe credit cards have to worry about increased liability when the new EMV rules are implemented in October? Sincerely, Online Payments Only

Dear Online Payments: As you may already know, I recently wrote an article to inform merchants about the Oct. 1 deadline to implement Credit Card EMV (EuroPay, MasterCard and Visa) technology. When this change takes effect, the liability for fraudulent transactions will no longer be assumed by the credit card issuing institution. Instead, if you continue to use the credit card’s magnetic stripe to process payments, your business will assume liability for any resulting fraud. For most businesses – especially smaller businesses – a single instance of fraud could be crippling.

EMV technology essentially swaps out the magnetic stripe used on credit cards today for an embedded chip. The chip scrambles sensitive cardholder data at the point of sale, which makes it increasingly difficult to fraudulently access and replicate consumer data.

But what changes lie ahead for businesses that utilize online payment methods and don’t require customers to physically swipe their credit card to pay for a product or service? Do they need to be concerned about this liability switch on Oct. 1 too?

EMV Concerns For Online Merchants

Your third-party processor (such as PayPal), is responsible for ensuring that the payment is authentic. These companies validate payments using a variety of methods.

Natalie Gagliordi, a blogger with Small Business Matters, writes that “for most online merchants, whatever payment processing technology they are using will likely contain out-of-the-box security and authentication protocols.” PayPal, for example, “has developed complex end-to-end encryption to help protect consumers and merchants with their payment information.”

But just because your business doesn’t bare the sole responsibility for keeping your customers’ credit card data safe, doesn’t mean you have nothing to worry about – quite the contrary. Some experts expect credit card fraudsters to pay more attention on hacking online consumer data. This means, for your customers’ sake, you must continue to be informed of online security best practices and should not only be knowledgeable about what your third-party payment processor is doing to keep credit card data safe, but what your third-party payment processor requires of you to maintain your compliance. This could include maintaining current antivirus protection, a secure firewall and other online safety protocols.

The EMV Migration Forum’s Card-Not-Present Working Committee recently published an informative whitepaper to address the growing threat of Card-Not-Present Fraud. This resource will give online merchants a little more insight into the numerous options currently available to help authenticate online payments.

In the meantime, if you have additional questions or concerns, contact your third-party payment processor immediately. Requirement 12.9 of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard v3.0 states that they must provide you with – in writing – the details of its role in providing PCI compliancy, as well as any requirements of your organization. Click here to learn more.

How Can Drebit Help You?

Readers, do you have questions about data security, fraud, accounting, succession planning and other general business topics, but don’t really know who to ask? Let Drebit help find the answer! Simply fill out the brief form at the top, right side of this page. You can also click here to reach out to one of fraud experts directly. If you like the advice we offer, why not click here to subscribe to Dear Drebit and get notified of new articles and updates the minute they are posted?

According to the digital media analytics company comScore, between the months of December and March 2015, more than 187.5 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones. During that time, Google Android led the pack as the number one smartphone platform with 52.4 percent platform market share. In other words … that’s a lot of potential LockerPIN victims.

Would You Pay A Hacker’s Ransom If Your Phone’s Data Was At Risk?

Researchers and IT security experts from ESET, a global IT security company, recently announced that they had discovered a malware application that is designed to encrypt files and change PINs on Android devices in the United States. In return, victims are demanded to pay up to the tune of $500. Only then will hackers provide users with the recover key.

If it continues to spread, this form of malware could result in a staggering number of victims. Once again we are reminded of how important it is to vigilantly protect ourselves against fraudsters who will continue to exploit such weaknesses in our technological infrastructure.

According to the digital media analytics company comScore, between the months of December and March 2015, more than 187.5 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones. During that time, Google Android led the pack as the number one smartphone platform with 52.4 percent platform market share.

Malware Goes Mobile

The malware, called LockerPIN, spreads via third party applications, which are downloaded by the user to their Android device. Similar to the CryptoLocker and CryptoWall malware that has inundated users over the past several years, LockerPIN spreads malware’s reach to the mobile user.

Originally discovered in Ukraine in 2014 the malware has been modified to the point that it is just now making its North American debut. Disguised as a system update, the application changes the user’s PIN to a random setting without their knowledge. The worse part? The only known recovery solution is to perform a complete factory reset, which will result in the loss of all your data.

Fair Warning

It’s only a matter of time before this malware progresses to the point of being able to infect all phones. In the meantime, there are actions you can take to protect yourself.

1) Never download apps outside of certified app stores.

2) Back up your mobile devices to your computer or to the cloud regularly.

3) Do not grant administrator privileges to apps unless you truly trust them.

Your annual audit isn’t designed to detect fraudulent activity, but if across suspicious transactions are discovered a fraud detection expert should be called in.

For the same reason you wouldn’t expect your eye doctor to repair your tooth, you shouldn’t depend on your annual audit to detect occupational fraud in your business. A financial statement audit validates your financial records and provides reasonable assurance that they are materially accurate. It does not look for fraudulent activity.

Of course, if your auditor comes across suspicious transactions or questionable information, they will certainly share their findings with you. In addition, a good auditor will be able to recommend a fraud detection expert to help you dig deeper into the questionable activity.

So, if your audit won’t detect fraud, how will you know if it’s happening in your organization?

According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners’ Report to the Nations on Occupational Fraud and Abuse, only 3 percent of the nearly 1,500 reported cases of occupational fraud were detected by an external audit. According to the study, employee tips continue to be the most common way in which fraudulent activity is reported – usually through a fraud reporting hotline.

Your employees are likely honest, hard-working individuals who would never do anything to jeopardize your business. But until you empower them with a secure, anonymous outlet to tip off this behavior, you will never truly know for sure.

As of Oct. 1, 2015, the liability for fraudulent transactions will no longer be assumed by the credit card issuing institution. Instead, if you (the merchant) fail to adopt EMV technology, your business will be responsible for any loss that results from a fraudulent transaction.

PCI to EMV – Protecting Credit Card Data

Your customers want their payment experience to be as easy and painless as possible, which is why you have come to depend on the ability to process credit card payments – especially if your average transaction is more than $20. But providing your consumers with the ability to pay with plastic has also been helpful to fraudsters looking to steal the information hidden within their card’s magnetic stripe. In an effort to crack down on fraudulent transactions, protect consumers and transfer liability from the credit card company to your business, the United States will begin to implement Credit Card EMV (EuroPay, MasterCard and Visa) technology.

Change Is Necessary

Due to the increasing number of credit card breaches where millions of credit card numbers and associated data have been stolen, the industry has forced retailers and merchants to adhere to PCI (Payment Card Industry) Security Requirements. Supported by the PCI Security Council, the ultimate goal of EMV is to stop and prevent further fraudulent activity. Success has already been noted in countries outside the U.S. “Currently, almost half of the world’s credit card fraud happens in the U.S. where magnetic stripe technology is the standard,” states David Navetta and Susan Ross in a blog on Data Protection Report. “Outside the U.S., an estimated 40 percent of the world’s cards and 70 percent of the terminals already use the EMV technology. These countries are reporting significantly lower counterfeit fraud levels with EMV cards than with the magnetic stripe cards.”

Understanding EMV Technology

Credit Card EMV technology, which has been used in Europe since the early 1990s, replaces the magnetic stripe we have grown accustomed to with an embedded chip that, scrambles sensitive cardholder data at the point of sale terminal. This technology ultimately makes it more difficult to access and replicate consumer data in an attempt to commit fraud.

Businesses Can’t Afford Not To Comply

Why should you be concerned about the credit card industry’s switch-over to EMV technology? As of Oct. 1, 2015, the liability for fraudulent transactions will no longer be assumed by the credit card issuing institution. Instead, if you (the merchant) fail to adopt EMV technology, your business will be responsible for any loss that results from a fraudulent transaction. If your business currently accepts credit cards as a form of payment (and you would like to continue this practice), unless you want to be hit with potentially devastating losses, you must make sure to install and activate the new technology before the Oct. 1 deadline. That being said, some types of businesses will have a little more time to comply. If you aren’t quite sure whether or not your business is exempt, visit the website of each payment brand you accept to learn more.

Next Steps

If you have not investigated or planned for EMV Technology, contact your card processor immediately to determine your business’s specific needs.

Implementing EMV technology can be a cumbersome and time consuming project, but the best way to protect yourself from fraud and liability is to implement the new technology as soon as possible.

If EMV technology has been implemented be sure to confirm that the chip reading capability has been enabled. In addition, confirm with issuers that cryptographic values are being associated with the card number to ensure that the EMV technology has been setup and configured properly. Verifying that cryptographic values are being assigned will eliminate the chance of misconfiguration and possible fraudulent activity.

Train your staff on the new procedures. When a customer tries to pay for a product or service using their card, they will notice some changes, such as their credit card being held in the EMV reading slot throughout the entire transaction process. This is normal, however your staff should be prepared to answer the questions that will certainly arise.

Red Flags To Be Aware Of When Opening Your Email

We hear it a lot and often – be careful when clicking on the links in your email (especially if you do not know the sender.) But what if the email is from someone you know, like your boss? And what if the email appears to come from their work account?

So that email your “boss” sent that asked you to click on a link to wire them money because they lost everything while on vacation in France may actually look authentic, but in reality it’s a scam that could have a divesting impact on your business’s network.

How can you tell the difference?

Criminal actors are getting very skillful at making their emails look like the real thing. Recently KnowBe4.com developed a great guide for determining if an email is legit or a scam.

Know the red flags of a potential email scam. If you see any of these signs in an email, delete it or contact your IT team.

Recently, the FBI reported a 270 percent spike in victims and cash losses due to these scams. The numbers are scary, but educating yourself on what to be on the lookout for can help eliminate the scams.

Want to learn more about the recent EAC scam? Contact Rea & Associates to learn more ways to protect your business from unseen threats.

Looking for more information about securing the safety of your business? Check out these articles:

Time’s Running Out to Establish, Alter Your Plan

If you haven’t made time to speak with a retirement plan specialist recently to make sure that your retirement plan still addresses your company’s unique needs, there’s a chance you are missing out on a more cost-effective solution. Your retirement plan team can quickly run some illustrative numbers to compare your SEP against a 401(k) plan to reveal whether a better option exists for your business.

Your SIMPLE IRA or Safe Harbor 401(k) plan isn’t going to establish or change itself and if you want yours to be effective in 2015, you need to know that an Oct. 1 deadline is looming – as though you really needed something else to worry about. Fortunately, a retirement plan expert will not only help you meet your deadline, they can make sure your plan is optimized to ensure maximum results.

If you’ve never taken the time to really understand how valuable your retirement plan can be for your business, this is your chance. Read on to learn six other reasons why you might want to pick up the phone and schedule a meeting with a retirement plan expert today.

Six Reasons To Call Your Retirement Plan Administrator

You have no retirement plan at all. Offering your employees a retirement plan is more than just a great recruitment tool; it’s an excellent way to make your company’s profits go further. Read Retirement Plan Design: One Size Does Not Fit All to learn more about how a retirement plan might help bolster your business’s growth strategy.

You have a SEP Plan with more than two employees. If you haven’t made time to speak with a retirement plan specialist recently to make sure that your retirement plan still addresses your company’s unique needs, there’s a chance you are missing out on a more cost-effective solution. Your retirement plan team can quickly run some illustrative numbers to compare your SEP against a 401(k) plan to reveal whether a better option exists for your business.

You are a business owner who is able to maximize deferrals every year with a SIMPLE IRA. If so, it may be time to consider a Safe Harbor 401(k) plan in 2016 for additional tax deferral. For more insight into how this option can work for you, read Safe Harbor 401(k) Plans Provide Smooth Sailing.

You have a 401(k) but receive corrective distributions every year. You may be missing out on a retirement plan design that can not only alleviate this problem, but can help you maximize the benefits your business receives for being active participants in your employees’ retirement strategy. Access Safe Harbor FAQ here.

You maximize deferrals every year under your Safe Harbor 401(k) plan but offer no profit sharing option. A better plan design for business owners in this situation might be to maximize profit sharing contributions while limiting the amount that has to be provided to employees. For example, cross-tested profit sharing plans may save you money if your company’s staff consists primarily of younger employees. A retirement plan expert can help you identify a plan that helps address the uniqueness of your business.

You are maxing out your profit sharing plan every year. It’s time to add a cash balance option to your existing retirement plan. This is a great option for business owners in this position, because it allows for much higher employer contribution deductibles for owners. Click here to learn more about how these plans can help your business.

As if you didn’t have enough keeping you up at night, the topic of data security continues to send collective shivers up the spines of business owners worldwide. Unfortunately, the Aug. 24, ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit didn’t make matters any better (or less expensive) for businesses guilty of failing to protect their customers’ data. In fact, companies that utilize poor security practices that ultimately lead to a breach of consumer data are at risk of facing further disciplinary action and penalties.

What does the FTC’s Courtroom Win Mean To Business Owners?

If you haven’t taken data security seriously in the past, it’s time to get real serious about it real quick.

Prior to the ruling, companies at the center of a data breach had to battle with lawsuits while working to rebuild their reputations. Now, in addition to litigation and negative headlines, your organization must also risk being fined by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Businesses can no longer operate with a subpar data security infrastructure. Those that do are at risk of losing everything.

The court upheld the FTC’s 2012 lawsuit against Wyndham Worldwide, a company known for operating hotels and time-shares. Records show that the FTC filed complaints against Wyndham for three data breaches occurring in 2008 and 2009, which resulted in more than $10.6 million in fraudulent charges. In its decision, the appeals court reaffirmed previous rulings that found Wyndham to be responsible for implementing better security practices, which would have helped prevent such breaches from occurring in the first place.

According to the FTC’s argument, software used at Wyndham-owned hotels stored credit card information as readable text, hotel computers lacked a system for monitoring malware, there was no requirement for user identification and or to make password difficult for hackers to guess, the company failed to use firewalls and, ultimately, failed to employ reasonable measures to detect and prevent unauthorized access to the computer network or to conduct security investigations.

“Today’s Third Circuit Court of Appeals decision reaffirms the FTC’s authority to hold companies accountable for failing to safeguard consumer data,” said FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez. “It is not only appropriate, but critical, that the FTC has the ability to take action on behalf of consumers when companies fail to take reasonable steps to secure sensitive consumer information.”

Next Steps For Businesses

With regard to the case between the FTC and Wyndham, the next chapter of the story is uncertain. While the win in the courtroom has helped put some wind in the FTC’s sails, the commission has yet to levy any penalties or assertions against the defendant. What is clear, however, is that a data security breach is a very real threat – one that is felt by nearly every business in the world. Furthermore, as technology continues to advance and hackers adapt, the security procedures businesses deploy must be top-notch to avoid further complications and costs associated with a sloppy security infrastructure.

Will you be ready when disaster strikes? Email Rea & Associates today to learn what you can do to protect your business from unforeseen threats.

Growth is the goal for many companies — whether you get that growth from adding another location, forming an alliance, adding services, diversifying into other areas or merging with/acquiring another business. But not all growth is good. So, it’s critical that you properly manage it. Smart Business recently talked with Kent Beachy about monitoring and managing your business’s growth.

For example, when growth is on the horizon, construction companies will go out and take on more work than they can handle. They have to pay their labor weekly, but they may not get paid for 60 or 90 days. A big part of growth is being able to finance it; you must have the right financing sources, such as built-up profits and/or a line of credit.

To learn more about how to set up the right systems to monitor your financial accounting and cash flow in times of growth, read the full article on Smart Business’ website.

Unclaimed funds may include savings, checking, certificates of deposit accounts, payroll (wages, underlying shares principal), insurance proceeds, credit balances, customer deposits, traveler’s checks, money orders and other intangible interests or benefits that have had no activity over a specific period.

Dear Drebit: Is there a more customer-friendly OUF-8 notice businesses can provide to account holders? Sincerely, Unclaimed Funds In New Albany

Dear Unclaimed Funds:

You know that feeling you get when you pull a forgotten $20 dollar bill out from deep inside your jeans’ pocket; faded and pressed from being through a wash cycle or two. It always kind of seems like the cash just materialized out of thin air. In fact, maybe you even “remember” spending it … But alas, there it is, as plain as the gills between my toes.

Unclaimed funds are kind of like that too, but instead of finding a bit of cash in your pocket, you will likely find a notification in your mailbox.

Unclaimed funds may include savings, checking, certificates of deposit accounts, payroll (wages, underlying shares principal), insurance proceeds, credit balances, customer deposits, traveler’s checks, money orders and other intangible interests or benefits that have had no activity over a specific period.

Businesses are responsible for notifying account holders of their unclaimed funds by using the official Notice of Unclaimed Funds Form (also known as OUF-8), which will be sent to the account owner’s last known address. The purpose of this form is to notify you that the funds will be remitted to the state as unclaimed funds if you do not claim them over the next 30 days. NOTE: Your unclaimed funds cannot be remitted to the state until the 30-day period has expired.

Therefore, because the OUF-8 is the official form used throughout the State of Ohio, the answer to your question is no, there is not a more customer-friendly OUF-8 notice available. That being said, you are not necessarily required to complete the form in its entirety. The only information you must include is the:

Recipient/account owner’s name

Recipient/account owner’s address

The dollar amount in question.

From there, it is up to you to decide if you want to provide the recipient with more customer-friendly information.

For example, you may like the idea of including a cover letter with your OUF-8 forms as a way to provide helpful, more personalized and branded information to the account holder. The letter might include information about your business as well as instructions for claiming the funds. It may also be a good idea to inform them of what will happen if the account owner does not claim the funds within the next 30 days. Just remember that a cover letter is only meant as a supplement to the official OUF-8 form. The OUF-8 may either be sent on its own or with your customized cover letter – the cover letter cannot be sent in lieu of the OUF-8 form.

Unclaimed Fund Clarity

I certainly hope I could clear things up for you about the unclaimed funds/OUF-8 form; but if you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to ask the financial experts at Rea & Associates.

How Can Drebit Help You?

Readers, do you have questions about taxes, accounting, succession planning, fraud detection and other general business topics but don’t know who to ask? Drebit has answers. You are more than welcome to fill out the form at the top, right side of this page. You can also click here to reach out to one of our expert financial advisors directly. If you like the Dear Drebit blog, why not click here to subscribe to get news, advice and general insight delivered directly to your mailbox?

Want to learn more about unclaimed funds? Check out these articles for more great information.

Are you familiar with PAT? Also known as the petroleum activity tax rate. While the PAT rate hasn’t changed for the second half of 2015, it is still making a buzz with recent changes. Read on to learn what all the buzz is about.

Dear Drebit: What is the new petroleum activity tax (PAT) rate for the second half of 2015? Sincerely, Wondering in Wooster

Dear Wooster:

The PAT, for those unfamiliar with the tax, is one that impacts suppliers of motor fuel. These amount suppliers are expected to pay – the rate – is measured by the supplier’s gross receipts from the first sale, transfer, exchange or other disposition of the motor fuel in Ohio to a point outside of the distribution system. Currently, this rate is set at 0.65 percent and it will not be changing during the second half of the year.

That being said, there has been a change in the PAT that has been causing a bit of buzz (kind of like that fly that’s just close enough to be annoying, yet too far away for me to catch and enjoy for my dinner). This change is in regard to what gross receipts suppliers are expected to report. In the past, it was OK to use the supplier’s actual gross receipts. As of July 1, 2015, however, suppliers must adjust their calculation method to one that calculates gross receipts by multiplying the gallons of motor fuel sold by an average wholesale price.

Suppliers in need of help of calculating or reporting their PAT or need a second opinion to ensure that their reports are accurate and that they aren’t paying too much should reach out to one of Rea’s tax advisors for additional assistance. Those on the firm’s oil & gas team may be particularly suited to address your specific needs and concerns.

How Can Drebit Help You?

Do you have a question for Drebit? Don’t be shy! You can submit yours today by filling out the form on the top, right side on this page. You can also click here to contact one of our professionals directly.

Are you looking for more oil & gas industry advice? Check out the following articles for best practices and industry insights.

Five Things You Didn’t Know About Ohio’s Tax Holiday

Regardless of whether you are a parent with younger children, a student, a teacher, or maybe just someone who wants to stock up on a ridiculously large supply of colored pencils and glue, by the time you buy everything you need for that first day of school, you (and your bank account) are drained. OK – maybe it’s really not that bad, but by the time you purchase new clothes and shoes, a book bag or two and all the items that go in it, you will have spent a large sum of money.

Fear not fellow Ohioans! The Department of Taxation is offering relief.

This year, for the first time ever, the State of Ohio is giving those who shop for clothing (priced at $75 or less per item), school supplies (priced at $20 or less per item) and school instructional material (priced at $20 or less per item) a break from paying sales tax beginning 12:01 a.m. Friday, Aug. 7 and ending 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 9, 2015. And there is no limit on the quantity of items you can purchase.

“As the new school year approaches, additional expenses can put a strain on family budgets, said Ohio Tax Commissioner in a news release. “The sales tax holiday will give back-to-school shoppers a break from paying sales tax, and let Ohio families save some money.”

The one-time tax holiday, which was enacted as a result of Senate Bill 243, also applies to eligible items purchased online, by mail, telephone or email. But to qualify, the order must be placed, paid for and accepted by the retailer for immediate shipment during the hours the tax holiday is in effect. That being said, actual delivery can occur following the tax exemption period.

Read on to learn five interesting facts about the upcoming tax holiday.

Five Things You Didn’t Know About Ohio’s Tax Holiday

Retailers cannot “opt out” of the 2015 Ohio Sales Tax Holiday event. The holiday is set by law, therefore all vendors must comply.

Qualifying items placed on, or picked up from, layaway during the sales tax holiday ARE exempt from sales tax.

During the sales tax holiday, all clothing that costs $75 or less is exempt from sales tax. So, obviously items such as shirts, pants, dresses, uniforms, shoes, coats, etc. are tax exempt; but items like receiving blankets, diapers, rubber pants and athletic supporters also made the cut.

While you won’t have to pay sales tax on your aprons, belts and beach capes, wigs, belt buckles and wetsuits are another story. Make sure to check the official web page for more clarification.

Teachers are also encouraged to take advantage of the holiday! In addition to traditional school supplies, the tax exemption is valid for reference books, maps, globes, textbooks and workbooks.

Typically, owners of businesses and their spouses who fail to file their annual retirement plan returns are in full-scale crisis mode – and rightfully so, since missing this deadline results in a penalty that’s about the size of a small fortune.

For most of us, misplacing our keys, losing sight of our shoes and occasionally forgetting to pay the phone bill on time is not a catastrophic phenomenon. It happens; and most likely we will freak out for a minute, find what we were looking for and move on – only to repeat our dysfunctional routine countless times over the course of a lifetime. Forgetting to file your retirement plan returns on the other hand … well, let’s just say that’s typically not a stress-free event.

Typically, owners of businesses and their spouses who fail to file their annual retirement plan returns (Form 5500-EZ) are in full-scale crisis mode – and rightfully so, since missing this deadline results in a penalty that’s about the size of a small fortune. To be more precise, in years past, those who failed to meet their filing obligation could face a penalty totaling up to $15,000 per return. Fortunately, the IRS recently announced that instead of facing such an extreme late fee, eligible business owners can take advantage of a “low-cost penalty relief program.”

How Much Would You Pay?

The relief initiative, which started as a one-year pilot program in 2014, was tremendously successful, resulting in the collection of about 12,000 late returns. Because of this success, the program secured it’s permanency in May of this year. According to the news release, the program allows eligible business owners and their spouses to file late returns and only pay a $500 penalty for each return submitted with a maximum of $1,500 per plan. Because the IRS caps the maximum penalty at $1,500, applicants are encouraged to include multiple late returns in a single submission.

Eligibility

The IRS says that businesses with plans that cover the owner or the business’s partners (depending on how the business is set up) and their spouses are eligible to take advantage of this low-cost plan. Complete information about the program can be found by clicking here.

Learn More

Remember, your return must be filed annually no later than the end of the seventh month following the close of your plan year. So, for example, if your plan is governed by the calendar-year, as most are, your 2014 return was due today (Friday, July 31, 2015). Did you fail to file your small business’s annual retirement plan returns? Would you like to find out if you qualify for this program? Email a retirement plan expert at Rea & Associates and take control of your IRS debt now.

Have you recently purchased commercial real estate or invested in construction? If so, you might want to look into getting a cost segregation study. The benefits of a study can mean tax savings and improved cash flow. Smart Business recently sat down with me to discuss the benefits of a cost segregation study.

For example, if you buy a building and it’s all capitalized as one lump sum on a business’s tax return, then it can only be depreciated over 27 to 39 years … But if you break it down into cost components, the business owner can depreciate certain costs over five, seven or 15 years to accelerate tax deductions.

To find out what a cost segregation study could do for your recent construction investment or commercial real estate purchase. Read the full article here or read more about cost segregation studies by clicking on the article links below.

Learn more about cost segregation studies and how they can help your small business:

Whether our children are just now entering kindergarten, are gearing up to graduate high school or are embarking on their sophomore year of college, this is the time of year when we are often reminded about the growing cost of a college education.

Don’t be too discouraged. Savings opportunities are available. The graphic below highlights a few payment strategies to help your dollars go further. You can also check out the following article for additional details:

Setting up internal controls in your small or midsized business is no easy task. It can be very time confusing, plus running the day-to-day operations always takes priority. I recently spoke with Smart Business to discuss what businesses and organizations with limited resources can do to implement internal controls.

If I handed you a briefcase of $100,000 and said, ‘Here hold this for me,’ would you be OK with that? … [What] if it was $500,000 or $1 million? That’s what you’re doing when you give full access to information and resources with no one monitoring it.”

To find out what your organization can do now and read the full article, visit Smart Business’s website or check out some of the articles below.

When a taxpayer files a false or fraudulent return, the taxpayer waves their right to statute of limitations protection. And if a taxpayer fails to file their income tax return, the IRS is allowed to undertake collection proceedings at any time and without assessment.

Bob recently received a copy of his account transcripts from the IRS. Upon reviewing the paperwork, he noticed that the government agency made note of a “date of assessment,” which prompted him to wonder how the date of assessment was determined? Moreover, he wanted to know what role one’s date of assessment plays with regard to the time frame the government has to collect back taxes.

If you ever find yourself in a situation similar to Bob’s, with questions about your tax history, in addition to speaking with your tax advisor, you can request that a copy of your tax return transcript and tax account transcript be mailed to you. Fill out the online form here, but make sure you are making the request for the current tax year’s transcript or transcripts for three years prior.

If you are requesting transcripts for older tax years or you need a wage and income transcript or verification of non-filing letter, you’ll need to complete Form 4506-T and send it to the address listed on the form’s instructions. Due to a recent security breach, your transcripts will not be sent electronically.

How Far Back Can The IRS Go To Collect Back Taxes?

If the IRS is attempting to collect past due taxes, the agency will assign a date of assessment to your IRS account transcript.

Like many of the invoices you see every day, every item on your transcript will be assigned a code. Your date of assessment is no different. To identify the date of assessment on your account transcript for the tax year in question, look for Transaction Code “150.”

As a general rule, the IRS must assess tax, or file suit against the taxpayer to collect the back taxes, within three years after the original tax return was filed. This three-year period of limitation on assessments also applies to penalties. In fact, this rule continues to apply regardless of whether the return was filed on time or not. In general, the statute of limitations will almost always begin the day after the taxpayer files their income tax return.

The Rules May Not Apply

It seems as though there are always exceptions to the rules we work so hard to uphold – taxes are not excluded from this trend. For instance, when a taxpayer files a false or fraudulent return, the taxpayer waves their right to statute of limitations protection. And if a taxpayer fails to file their income tax return, the IRS is allowed to undertake collection proceedings at any time and without assessment.

Parting Shots

While the statute of limitations for assessment is three years after your return has been filed, the IRS still has 10 years to actually collect the assessed tax. Below is an example of the assessment process in action:

The IRS has until March 31, 2028, to collect the additional tax or file suit against you.

While this information may help to shine some light on IRS assessments and statute of limitations rules, every situation is unique and hinges on several specific variables. Your tax advisor can help you sort through codes and details to get you back on the right track. Email Rea & Associates to learn more.

Photo Courtesy Of WDTN.comMorton Salt, Inc., and Cargill Inc., the only two companies that mine rock salt in Ohio for commercial sale, agreed to pay a settlement totaling $11.5 million, in an attempt to resolve allegations that the two companies divided rock salt between themselves in an attempt to drive up salt prices.

Mother Nature has never been shy about hammering Ohio with frigid temperatures and record-breaking snowfalls, which is why rock salt continues to be essential in our battle to keep the state’s roads and bridges free from ice. And if you thought your municipality was paying a premium to beef up its salt reserves in the past, you were probably right.

Get Your Money Back

Last month, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced that the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), the Ohio Turnpike Commission and local government entities may be entitled to get some of the money back that they spent on rock salt between July 1, 2008, and June 30, 2011.

Morton Salt, Inc., and Cargill Inc., the only two companies that mine rock salt in Ohio for commercial sale, agreed to pay a settlement totaling $11.5 million, in an attempt to resolve allegations that the two companies divided rock salt between themselves in an attempt to drive up salt prices. While the companies continue to deny any wrongdoing, they did agree to pay back some of the funds that were charged to public entities across the state.

According to the Attorney General’s Office, all eligible public entities will receive a payment based upon their share of rock salt purchases.

How To Submit Your Claim

To submit a claim, you must complete the official online claim form or the official mail-in claim form no later than Aug. 7.

Your claim must include:

Contact information for the public entity making the claim

The details of your entity’s salt purchase for each season, including:

The quantity (in tons)

The cost per ton

Total dollars spent

Any additional information that may be relevant to your claim

Certification that your claim is correct and that you are authorized to submit the form on behalf of your public entity.

While you do not need to submit invoices or other documentation with your claim, you will likely need this documentation to accurately complete your claim.

According to an official news release from the Ohio Attorney General, the antitrust lawsuit was brought against Morton and Cargill in Tuscarawas County on March 21, 2012, and alleged that the two companies agreed not to compete in an attempt to drive up the rock salt prices – a practice that persisted for nearly a decade, ending in 2010. As a result, ODOT, the Ohio Turnpike Commission and local government entities allegedly paid “above-market” prices for their rock salt supply, which is an essential resource that aids in their responsibility to keep all Ohioans safe by helping keep roadways, highways and bridges clear of ice.

“I believe that this settlement is a very positive result for the people of the state of Ohio. The millions that will be distributed to the state and to local governments would never have been returned to them if we had not filed this lawsuit and aggressively pursued this case,” said DeWine.

If you need help determining whether your public entity can claim a portion of this settlement or need help navigating the claims process, email Rea & Associates.

Identity theft and tax fraud are problems that show no signs of stopping. This year, in an attempt to provide an added layer of protection, taxpayers in Ohio had the opportunity to get up close and personal with the Ohio Department of Taxation’s (ODT) newest fraud safety measure – the Identification Confirmation Quiz.

We hear about cases of fraud every week, but steps are being taken to slow it down and ultimately stop it.

While you may have heard your friends and family comment (perhaps unfavorably) about this added step, government officials have said that the quiz helped thwart countless attempts to steal refund checks from Ohio taxpayers this year. During the 2014 tax season, fraudsters pocketed more than $250 million worth of taxpayer refunds, prompting the need for additional safety measures. Due to its success, the ODT expects the quiz to become a mainstay of your tax prep routine.

But just because tax season is over, doesn’t mean you should let your guard down – quite the contrary. When it comes to protecting your identity, you must remain vigilant. Whether you are aware of it or not, criminals are still looking for ways to steal your personal identification information for a myriad of uses.

While there is no surefire way to prevent a Ransomware attack on your data, it’s wise to implement the following best practices to reduce the possibility of infection or reinfection.

The malware known as CryptoLocker or CryptoWall continues to be a major concern for individuals and companies alike. So much so, that the FBI saw fit to issue a warning just last month and help raise further awareness about the threat.

According to the FBI, this Ransomware continues to evolve, which helps it avoid user’s virus detection software applications – even if they are current. Since April 2014, reported the FBI, there have been 992 incidents of CryptoLocker reported. These occurrences have resulted in the loss of around $18 million.

The Threat Is Real

Ransomware is a computer infection that’s been programmed to encrypt all files of known file types on your local computer and your server’s shared drives. Once it takes hold, it’s all but impossible for you to regain access to the data that’s been infected. Once this happens, you have one of two choices. You can:

Restore their machine by using backup media, or

Accommodate the hacker’s demands and pay up.

As a direct result of my experience as an IT audit manager, I have been made aware of several situations in which businesses were left with no choice but to succumb to the demands of malicious cybercriminals carrying out Ransomware attacks. And while the companies I have worked with were finally able to obtain their assailant’s encryption key code to unencrypt and regain access to their data after the ransom was paid, others are not as lucky – after all, the FBI has reported $18 million worth of losses in just over a year. Furthermore, there are no guarantees that you won’t be targeted again in the future.

Preempt A Crisis

While there is no surefire way to prevent a Ransomware attack on your data, it’s wise to implement the following best practices to reduce the possibility of infection or reinfection.

Always use reputable antivirus software and a firewall and be sure to keep both up to date.

Put your popup blockers to good use. Doing so will help remove the temptation to click on an ad that could infect your computer.

Limit access to company’s data by ensuring that only a few employees have access to certain folders and data. You can facilitate this type of action by conducting annual reviews of your company’s employee access rights.

Backup all company-owned content. Then if you do become infected, instead of paying the ransom, you can simply have the Ransomware wiped from your system and then reinstall your files once it’s safe again to do so.

Never click on suspicious emails or attachments, especially if they come from an email address you don’t recognize. And actively avoid websites that raise suspicion.

Shut Down The Attack

If you are surfing the Web and a popup ad or message appears to alert you that a Ransomware attack is in progress, disconnect from the Internet immediately. Breaking the connection between the hacker and your data could help stop the spread of additional infections or data losses. In addition to informing your company’s IT department about the threat or occurrence, be sure to file a complaint with your local law enforcement agency.

Putting internal controls to work in your business doesn’t have to be an overwhelming task and you don’t necessarily need to beef up your workforce to get started. Start by simply picking a few key controls that can be easily woven into your daily or monthly processes and begin implementing a few changes at a time.

You’ve probably heard about how critical it is to establish internal controls throughout your business. But if you happen to own a small or midsize company, you may have dismissed this best practice in favor of maintaining your daily operations, optimizing customer service and streamlining your growth initiative. While running a successful business greatly depends on your ability to manage a variety of responsibilities, don’t let yourself become complacent when it comes to protecting your lifework from fraudulent activity. The mistake of ignoring the importance of internal controls in your business could end up costing you greatly.

Who’s Watching Your Money?

Would you be comfortable asking someone to watch a briefcase full of your cash, say $100,000? What if it held $500,000 or $1 million? Are you confident that your money would be there when you returned? Believe it or not, that’s essentially what you are doing every day when you run your business without internal controls – you are willingly handing over full access to your most valuable asset.

As the owner of a small- to midsize-business, you may want to consider implementing a strategy that takes advantage of detective controls, which are typically put in place for the purpose of reviewing data for human error while ensuring that your assets remain secure. One example of this type of control is when, after your accounts have been reconciled, a reconciliation review is conducted to ensure accuracy.

Because of their size, smaller companies are more likely to give a few individuals full access to their business’s funds. These employees are often in charge of making deposits, issuing checks, managing payroll and performing monthly bank reconciliations. Enacting detective controls will not only provide you with the peace of mind you need, it may help take weight off of the shoulders of a trustworthy employee who would rather not have their trust questioned.

Preventative controls, on the other hand, are established by companies seeking to ensure that something doesn’t happen in advance. An example of a preventative control is when transaction limits and segregation of duties are established. This type of control can be very effective, but are oftentimes more difficult for smaller companies to establish due to the lack of resources they can commit to such a strategy.

Form a policy for creating credit limits for customers – and review it regularly.

Review whether there are other areas unique to your business where employees may be able to manipulate information and identify how to monitor them.

Putting internal controls to work in your business doesn’t have to be an overwhelming task and you don’t necessarily need to beef up your workforce to get started. Start by simply picking a few key controls that can be easily woven into your daily or monthly processes and begin implementing a few changes at a time. Before you know it, aspects of your internal control strategy will become so commonplace that you may begin to wonder how you ever got by without them.

Although you may employ a vendor to process credit card payments, it is still your client’s data and the ultimate need to protect that data is assumed by you.

You probably don’t have a lot of spare time on your hands. Between managing your business and employees, to ensuring your clients’ needs are being met. The last thing you might be concerned about is adhering to Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security compliance standards. But hold up. If your business (or any of your vendors) deals with client cardholder data or stores this information anywhere in your business’s IT systems, PCI standards are not something to ignore. It could be the difference between your business surviving and thriving or going down the drain.

PCI Data Security Best Practices

In November 2013, the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard version 3 was released. There were five requirements defined as “best practices.” And as of June 30, 2015, these requirements are mandatory and may affect your organization.

The Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard v3.0 data sheet describes the need for compliance as: “All applications that store, process, or transmit cardholder data are in scope for an entity’s PCI DSS assessment, including applications that have been validated to PA-DSS.”

The two requirements that could most affect your organization are Requirements 12.9 and 9.9.

Requirement 12.9 – Additional requirements for service providers: Service providers acknowledge in writing to customers that they are responsible for the security of cardholder data the service provider possesses or otherwise stores, processes, or transmits on behalf of the customer, or to the extent that they could impact the security of the customer’s cardholder data environment.

So what exactly do these requirements mean for you (and your vendor)? In essence, Requirement 12.9 requires third parties to provide in writing the details of its role in providing PCI compliancy, as well as any requirements of your organization. Requirement 12.9 is relevant to Requirement 9.9 as it relates to devices used to scan or input credit card information. The vendor’s compliancy requirements could require the entity to adhere to Requirement 9.9 by protecting and monitoring devices used by the entity to scan or input credit card information. And because it’s ultimately the responsibility of your organization to protect client credit card information, it is important that your business obtain the PCI requirements of any vendors you work with and adhere to the requirements of their PCI Compliancy Standards. It is always best practice to document in detail when testing for PCI or communicating with your vendor.

Remaining Three Best Practice PCI Compliance Requirements

The other three PCI compliance “best practice” requirements are listed below. These may or may not be items to be addressed by your organization depending on your current PCI classification. It’s best to review and determine if your entity needs to add to your current PCI testing procedures.

Requirement: 8.5.1 – Service providers with remote access to customer premises (for example, for support of POS systems or servers) must use a unique authentication credential (such as a password/phrase) for each customer.

The End of Outdated Secure Sockets Layer Encryption Protocol

Finally, in April 2015 the PCI Security Standards Council published a new version of the Payment Card Data Security Standard that calls for ending the use of the outdated Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption protocol. The new standard requires that the use of SSL be discontinued and replaced by the use of the more secure Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol. The deadline for this change has been set at June 2016.

Remember, although you may employ a vendor to process credit card payments, it is still your client’s data and the ultimate need to protect that data is assumed by you.

We hear of new breaches daily, so it’s in the best interest of your organization to know the responsibilities of your organization for PCI Compliancy. Don’t assume that all the responsibility is on a third party vendor because it is all of our responsibility to maintain security and keep the integrity of our data secure.

Certainly, for those who will retain their health care as a result of the Supreme Court’s decision, the outcome was optimal. But if you’re a business owner, you may not agree with the ruling.

The United States Supreme Court upheld a key provision of the Affordable Care Act Thursday after the justices released its 6-3 ruling on King v. Burwell, which will leave the law in tact in its current form. The four-word statutory passage – “established by the State” – stood at the heart of the case and the nine justices set to deliberate the interpretation of these words.

If taken literally, they would have rendered Obamacare immobile in many states. However, the judges opted to look beyond these words and interpret them in light of the rest of the law – which left healthcare subsidies intact for individuals and families throughout the nation.

“This case is about whether the Act’s interlocking reforms apply equally in each State no matter who establishes the State’s Exchange,” according to the official Opinion of the Court, which points to the provision that allows the federal government to establish a state’s exchange if the state fails to establish its own.

After much deliberation, the court found that phrase in question should be interpreted in context. According to the court’s formal opinion, the law “allows tax credits for insurance purchased on any Exchange created under the Act. Those credits are necessary for the Federal Exchanges to function like their State Exchange counterparts, and to avoid the type of calamitous result that congress plainly meant to avoid.”

“We don’t look at four words, said Justice Elena Kagan. “We look at the whole text, the particular context” to gain “an understanding of the law as a whole.”

The Right Decision?

Was the decision of our nation’s highest court the right one? Well, as always, it depends who you’re asking.

Certainly, for those who will retain their health care as a result of the Supreme Court’s decision, the outcome was optimal. But if you’re a business owner, you may not agree with the ruling.

What is clear is that (at least for now) Obamacare is here to stay. Business owners and professional service providers must continue to work to understand it and to identify the best way to work in tandem with its multitude of provisions.

To learn more about your responsibilities under the Affordable Care Act, email Rea & Associates.

While most baseball teams attempt to excel in all aspects of the game, The Oakland A’s ushered in a different type of strategy – one rooted in the power of optimizing a single data point – getting hits to get the team’s players on base.

It’s summer and that means that baseball season is in full swing. I don’t know about you, but nothing truly beats the feeling of spending a few hours in a stadium cheering for your favorite team – mine just happens to be the Cleveland Indians.

While I am a devoted fan and will support my team at nearly every opportunity (Go Tribe!), I must confess that there are days when, rather than have my heart broken by another loss, I opt to spend my time watching something a little more … encouraging. So, the other night I turned to the movie Moneyball for some baseball-themed comfort.

Based on a true story, Moneyball follows Oakland A’s General Manager Billy Beane as he attempts to overcome multiple challenges in the hopes of taking his baseball team to the next level by leveraging cost effective measures to transform his team. I was particularly struck by the part when Billy, played by Brad Pitt, made a point to zero in on a single characteristic in the hopes of taking his team to the top – hitting. Moving forward with this strategy, Billy turned to data for answers.

Big Data, Business and Baseball

I’m willing to bet that almost everybody reading this post right now is at least somewhat familiar with the term “Big Data.” Some of us are generally aware of its role in business while others help facilitate the collection of data and are ultimately responsible for its collection and interpretation. Then there are others who are acutely aware of Big Data’s magnitude. These are the people who readily acknowledge how data is being used to track our buying behavior, monitor our interests and influence our interactions with others. Today, it is common practice to zero in on the details, which may have cost us our ability to see the forest through the trees – but at least we know that our trees look fabulous.

The Big Data concept is articulated in Moneyball. While most baseball teams devote countless hours to offensive and defensive strategies in an attempt to excel in all aspects of the game, The Oakland A’s ushered in a different type of strategy – one rooted in the power of optimizing a single data point – getting hits to get the team’s players on base.

Billy’s strategy can apply to your business success as well. For example, if you are able to focus on your business’s key driver while cutting out the aspects of your business that are holding you back (such as a poorly selling product, costly production or a minimal return on a particular investment) you can take the steps to increase your efficiency, company-wide value and ability to meet a growing demand. And consider watching Moneyball for inspiration – it sure beats tuning in to another lackluster performance by the Indians.

It’s easy to blame the pay scale when an employee leaves or when it becomes a struggle to recruit new talent and it’s common for top performers to leave for bigger and brighter opportunities that promise a larger pay check. But sometimes, the reason a top performer leaves has nothing to do with dollar signs. Sometimes their departure has everything to do with whether they believe their work is appreciated. When an employee does a good job, do you let them know?

As the economy continues to improve, it’s more important than ever to remain focused on the well-being of your team – because if you don’t, somebody else will.

Just because your employees aren’t actively looking for another job opportunity, doesn’t mean that other companies aren’t looking for them. And that makes it your responsibility to keep them happy in their current position or company more important than ever. Maybe your closest competitors have begun to regularly communicate with members of your team as part of a strategy to siphon your top talent or maybe an appealing job posting on LinkedIn has prompted one of your best employees to take a critical look at their current situation. While widespread mutiny among your rank-and-file may not top your list of business threats, it’s a real possibility that must be given proper consideration. If key members of your team determine that the grass is, indeed, greener on the other side, you could be left shorthanded, unable to fulfill your business obligations and ultimately branded with a bad reputation.

If you’re not sure how your company would be able to handle the exit of your star employee or a mass exodus of talent, try implementing these tips into your team-building strategy to help secure your overall business structure – and ultimately your success. As an added bonus, you might be able to earn the “workplace of choice” status in your community in the process, which can have an extraordinary impact on all aspects of your organization.

Be A Better Leader

How effective you are as a leader hinges on your ability to provide support, motivation and direction to your team on a regular basis while utilizing fair and constructive methods of communication. Leadership is not just about barking orders, it’s about listening to your team and providing solutions that address challenges and promote higher levels of proactivity and efficiency. Want to be a better leader? Get involved. Listen. Be hands-on. And actively demonstrate the qualities you expect to see from your team.

Encourage Ownership

When team members are able to take ownership of their work and accomplishments, they will take more pride in their work and in the company. Oftentimes, the quality of your team’s work will increase and they will be more likely to offer valuable insight into the effectiveness and shortfalls of certain aspects of their area in the organization. You can’t be everywhere and they can serve as your eyes. Your team’s intuition can be incredibly valuable and can help improve your business’s processes and procedures. One way to encourage your team to take ownership is to give them the chance to walk away with a bonus for their efforts. Individual and company performance bonus plans have been successfully implemented in many businesses.

Environment Matters

Want to know the best way to drive your employees away? Make them work in cramped space with poor lighting, uncomfortable working conditions and outdated facilities. On the other hand, if attracting great hires and retaining top talent is your goal, be sure to provide your team with the tools they need to do their jobs effectively while ensuring that your facilities are up-to-date and the working conditions are manageable. Just like you, your employees are working harder than ever to earn a living. Another great way to satisfy your team is to understand that many of the men and women working for you are part of a household that depends on both parents working full-time jobs. Therefore, respecting the need for greater work/life balance might also give your business the edge when it comes to attracting and retaining top talent.

Be Generous With Feedback

It’s easy to blame the pay scale when an employee leaves or when it becomes a struggle to recruit new talent and it’s common for top performers to leave for bigger and brighter opportunities that promise a larger pay check. But sometimes, the reason a top performer leaves has nothing to do with dollar signs. Sometimes their departure has everything to do with whether they believe their work is appreciated. When an employee does a good job, do you let them know? When your team works together to fulfill an especially difficult quota, do you speak up? When you notice that one, two, 10 or more members of your team are struggling, do you take the time to work with them and help them overcome their challenges? When you take the time to give employees feedback with regard to how well they are performing their specific job duties, you help provide them with a roadmap for their own success. Some companies have begun to implement longevity awards to help acknowledge their team for the great work they do. These rewards are not only great incentives, they become points of pride.

Why You Need A Banker On Your Team

A lot has changed since the first time I sat behind my desk at Rea & Associates in 1979. Technology has advanced in ways that no one could have imagined or predicted. Our nation endured – and survived – The Great Recession. And someone somewhere decided that Pluto isn’t a planet anymore (and I just became a grandpa!).

But with all these changes going on, one thing has remained the same: to be successful in business, you can’t go it alone.

You never know when you will need a sounding board, some insightful guidance or even someone to go to bat for you, but if you are looking to hit a home run, you need to make sure your team is stacked with advisors you trust – and be sure to make room on your roster for a banker.

As a business owner, it’s easy to get caught up in the daily responsibilities of managing operations, customer needs and stakeholder interests. If your banker is just watching from the bleachers, you are missing out on a great opportunity to improve your business. Get a banker on your team, and if it’s the right one, you’ll see results.

A Key Player

Maybe you’re already making payments on a business loan, or perhaps you’re in the market to refinance or secure a new loan. Either way, you’ll have better results if you see your banker as a teammate.

When your banker is a key player in your business, you will find:

The bank is more willing to give you a loan.

Banks don’t loan money to business owners they can’t trust. When you develop a relationship with your banker, not only do they get the chance to know you better, they get broader insight into your company and the objectives that drive your business. Yes, your cash flow, collateral and financial statements are important, but so is your character. If your banker knows you, likes you and trusts you – and knows, understands and believes in your business – you could be more likely to secure the financing you need when you need it.

You and your business are often top-of mind. When you have a strategic banking relationship, you’re more likely to get a call when a great opportunity arises. Your banker has greater insight into your short- and long-term strategies and will be able to alert you when a low interest loan program lands on their desk. Additionally, they are in a great position to recommend your business to other clients and professional acquaintances.

If you talk to your cousin’s neighbor’s dog-walker more often than you talk to your banker, it’s time to make a change. Try setting a recurring reminder on your calendar to meet for coffee, visit the batting cages or hit a few golf balls. Before long, you’ll start to see a return on your efforts.

It’s warm and muggy now, but once winter blankets the Buckeye State with record snowfall and subzero temperatures again, you will likely be kicking yourself for not having hightailed it to Florida after last year’s bitter cold snap. Sure, it’s easy to say that you would like to pack up and head for a warmer climate during a seemingly endless freeze, but once the icicles melt and the flowers bloom, you begin to remember why you’ve stayed around for so long in the first place. Maybe the fact that your family and friends still call Ohio home is enough to convince you to stay put. Or perhaps its memories of your own childhood that are keeping you tethered to the state. Either way, now that it’s summer – the need doesn’t seem so intense anymore … that is, unless you are considering taking advantage of possible tax savings.

Will Taxes Influence Your Decision To Fly South This Winter?

Now that you have settled on whether or not you will be packing up and moving for tax and/or weather reasons, make sure you know what’s involved when it comes to changing your state of domicile.

What if I told you that the State of Ohio has made it a little easier for you to escape the winter chill, spend more time in the nation’s heartland during the seasons you love and save on your tax bill? Would you consider making the move then? If so, you’re in luck!

Which State Do I Call Home?

For some, it’s relatively easy to buy and maintain several homes across state lines. The hard part comes when the Internal Revenue Service wants you to decide which home should be considered your primary residence based on how much time you spend in each state. These are the facts that will ultimately influence whether you pay taxes or not. If you are a snowbird who flocks back and forth between Ohio and Florida, for example, to avoid reporting your income to Ohio for tax purposes, it’s up to you to prove that you have spent no more than seven months (or fewer than 212 contact periods) in the Buckeye State. That compares to the 182 contact sessions (or six months) snowbirds were allowed to remain in Ohio under prior rules. The rules were changed in March.

How Do I Change My Residence For Tax Purposes?

Now that you have settled on whether or not you will be packing up and moving for tax and/or weather reasons, make sure you know what’s involved when it comes to changing your state of domicile. Some states, such as Florida, require basic documentation to establish your change of domicile. Therefore, you should make sure all your paperwork is in order, including your Declaration of Domicile. And while you are filing paper work to establish your new residence for tax purposes, keep in mind that some states, including Ohio, require documentation in order to relinquish your residency. Ohioans looking to relocate must complete and sign an Affidavit of Non-Ohio Residency/Domicile. This document helps establish your desire to establish nonresidency within the state. But keep in mind that there are there are other bright line tests the State of Ohio may look at to help determine whether you are actually domiciled in another state. For example, the State may look for information that indicates where you are registered to vote, which state issued your driver’s license, where your vehicles are titled and what address is listed on your tax return.

Email Rea & Associates to learn more about the tax benefits some snowbirds enjoy and whether migration is right for you.

Perhaps the biggest argument for establishing your business as an S-Corp is the minimal tax liability it provides to shareholders and to the business as a whole. Only the wages paid to owners and employees are considered earned income and subject to Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax for Social Security and Medicare. Other net earnings passing through to shareholders are considered “passive income,” protecting them from the taxes that would otherwise be assessed per the Self Employed Contributions Act (SECA) tax.

Are you an entrepreneur who wants to take advantage of the benefits often awarded to small-to-midsize business owners? If so, you may want to consider establishing a limited liability company or an S-corporation. Both options offer several distinct advantages depending on the size and scope of your business and it’s even possible to combine the two – potentially providing you with the best options of both worlds.

Keep in mind that in some circumstances, making the change to an LLC may simply be impractical. Given your particular situation, the switch may have unfavorable consequences. Consider working with a knowledgeable financial advisor and/or business consultant who can assist you with proper planning and who can articulate the advantages and disadvantages of each option. If you are ready for a structure change, be sure to look closely at your short and long term goals and objectives – and be sure to build in some flexibility so that your business can adapt as it matures.

While it may be nearly impossible to find a perfect fit with regard to your specific needs, you may find one option to be better than another when working toward accomplishing your unique financial and tax goals. Read on to learn more about a few organizational structures that might make sense for you.

Just Passing Through

Regardless of whether you establish an LLC or an S-corp, you will receive the benefits associated with owning a pass through entity, meaning that your company’s income will pass directly through to the business owners – potentially receiving better tax treatment. Furthermore, both options grant owners with some form of limited liability protection.

What To Expect From Your LLC

If you decide to structure your business as an LLC you will likely enjoy the tax efficiencies and operation flexibility this traditional sole proprietorship or general partnership will provide. If you plan to enter into a partnership, each owner will be considered members and will report their portion of the profits and losses to the internal revenue service (IRS) on their personal federal income tax return. Another great benefit LLC members report is the ease of their operation and administration responsibilities. Members also enjoy fewer restrictions when the time comes to distribute earnings through profit-sharing.

Be aware, however, that the liability protection provided by an LLC is typically limited to each member’s personal investment in the company.

What To Expect From Your S-Corp

Corporate income, losses, deductions and credits are passed directly through to owners (or shareholders) of S-corporations. Shareholders of the company are then expected to report the business’s income and losses on their federal tax returns – similar to an LLC. Keep in mind that S-Corps may have no more than 100 shareholders. Furthermore, partnerships, corporations and non-resident aliens are not eligible to own S-corps. Shareholders only consist of individuals and certain trusts and estates.

Perhaps the biggest argument for establishing your business as an S-Corp is the minimal tax liability it provides to shareholders and to the business as a whole. Only the wages paid to owners and employees are considered earned income and subject to Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax for Social Security and Medicare. Other net earnings passing through to shareholders are considered “passive income,” protecting them from the taxes that would otherwise be assessed per the Self Employed Contributions Act (SECA) tax.

But be forewarned, even though S-Corps have some great tax benefits, they also have complex administrative and recordkeeping obligations. All S-Corps are required to maintain formal minutes, bylaws, forms and filings. Additionally, because shareholders earnings are limited to a proportional percentage of capital contributions, profit sharing is difficult to establish. In other words, if you are looking for a relatively low-maintenance option – you may not want to choose to establish an S-Corp.

The Best Of Both Worlds

Wouldn’t it be great if you could structure your business in a way that allows you to enjoy the benefits of minimal tax liability, profit sharing, and fewer administrative and operational responsibilities while curtailing the restrictions posed by establishing the company solely as an LLC or S-Corp? Good news – that option exists!

There are steps you can take to establish your business as an LLC while allowing it to receive the tax treatment of an S-Corp – it just requires you to seek insight from a professional in business and financial matters and a special election with the IRS via Form 2583.

The decisions you make today will impact the future of your business for years to come. Email Rea & Associates to learn more about the pros and cons of LLCs and S-Corps, as well as other options that may be available to address your specific challenges.

Owning a business in a volatile industry can be a big gamble, but if you strategically manage your assets, your odds of success become much greater. Be prepared for outside factors that may force your business to go lean by preparing early and creating a solid, sustainable financial management strategy.

The oil & gas industry has long been known to experience regular cycles of booms and busts. One of the most recent examples occurred only a few months ago, when Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) made the decision to maintain its current level of production levels in an attempt to capture greater market share. This decision caused the price of oil to tank. By the time the dust settled, oil prices dipped 60 percent and the ripple effect had already begun to take a toll on companies throughout the industry.

This is just one example of how the market can change overnight, but this type of volatility is not exclusive to the oil & gas industry, which is why all business owners throughout all industries should consider taking the steps necessary to guard against a bust – even if you are still riding high on a boom.

3 Tips To Help You Navigate Your Industry’s Busts – And The Booms

Take Good Care Of Your Assets – Successful navigation of a finicky industry depends on how well you manage your assets. For example, when times are good, take the necessary steps to manage your cash flow and consult with an advisor who can help you make wise, sustainable financial decisions. When it comes to investments made outside the volatility of your business, consider giving your blood pressure a break and make it a priority to first seek the preservation of your capital over your rate of return. Emphasizing capital preservation can better prepare you for those unexpected downturns.

Live Frugally (Even When You Don’t Have To) – Don’t buy that new car unless you are absolutely sure that you will have the funds needed to cover the payments, and any other unexpected expenses, later on. Setting goals for your spending and saving habits, for example, can help keep your finances in line – helping you to keep your head above water when your business, or the industry, takes unexpected downturn. Instead of driving off the lot in that brand-new car, start by putting some money aside to make a nice down payment. Even though you may have to postpone the purchase for a few months or so, when you are finally able to put the money down you will also be able to significantly reduce your monthly payments – putting you in an even better long-term financial position.

Choose To Play The Long Game – It may seem hard to diversify your business when so many others appear to be doing pretty good for themselves by chasing the quick rewards. But by operating your business and managing your personal finances more conservatively, you stand a better chance of securing long-term wealth – not to mention a comfortable retirement. In other words, when you diversify your assets, you are able to protect yourself and your business from a sudden and complete collapse.

Owning a business in a volatile industry can be a big gamble, but if you strategically manage your assets, your odds of success become much greater. Be prepared for outside factors that may force your business to go lean by preparing early and creating a solid, sustainable financial management strategy. Take a look at your current operations and consider what changes you can make today to help protect your business from a possible financial catastrophe tomorrow.

Amazon appears to be unaffected by the possible repercussions of adding sales tax to customer’s invoices as its focus seems to have shifted from a superior price point strategy to high efficiency and extra speedy service. According to reports, the online giant continues to move forward with initiatives that promise even speedier delivery – further cutting the time it takes for a product to hit the customer’s front porch after the order was placed.

If you aren’t already aware, Amazon is in the process of bringing three of its data centers and a distribution center to Ohio. And yes, the company’s decision to open up shop in the Buckeye State is expected to boost the state-wide economy and add about 1,000 jobs to the ranks. But what is generating the most excitement these days (at least throughout Ohio’s retail industry) is the company’s new responsibility to collect sales tax from our state’s shoppers.

Traditional retailers anticipate this move will effectively level the playing field, helping encourage the growth of the state’s locally-owned businesses. Amazon, however, appears to be unaffected by the possible repercussions of adding sales tax to customer’s invoices as its focus seems to have shifted from a superior price point strategy to high efficiency and extra speedy service. [SPOILER ALERT: Drone delivery appears to be imminent!] According to reports, the online giant continues to move forward with initiatives that promise even speedier delivery – further cutting the time it takes for a product to hit the customer’s front porch after the order was placed. The company is also exploring ways to keep the cost associated with such speed minimal – information from the US Patent and Trademark Office reveals the company’s desire to “dominate the skies.”

Ohio-Based Amazon Shoppers Begin Paying Sales Tax

Paying taxes on your purchased items is not a new phenomenon. In fact, you’re probably not too shocked to see the roughly 7 percent (based on your county) charge permanently affixed to the bottom portion your receipts whenever your purchase a variety of products from a local brick-and-mortar shop. Until June 1 though, Ohio residents didn’t see this charge when purchasing products from Amazon, simply because the online retailer wasn’t required to make those living in the Buckeye State pay these taxes.

In Ohio, only vendors with a physical presence in the state, such as a storefront, warehouse, factory or call center, must charge sales tax to in-state customers. Otherwise, it’s up to individual taxpayers to report and pay the taxes when filing their annual tax returns, which is a relatively uncommon practice.

“The Ohio Department of Taxation has estimated that Ohio will lose out on about $400 million in unpaid sales or use tax on unpaid sales or use tax on so-called remote sales this year,” reported The Columbus Dispatch. “More than 5 million Ohioans filed tax returns for 2012. Of those, a little more than 50,000 paid a total of $3 million in taxes due on Internet or mail-order purchases. Retail groups and analysts welcomed the news that Amazon will start collecting taxes.”

Ohio Taxpayers Still On The Hook For Other Purchases

It may seem like it’s too soon to start thinking about your 2015 tax return, it’s actually a great time to start collecting information you will need to complete your paperwork early next year. For example, while you won’t need to collect your Amazon receipts anymore, you may have to keep tabs of your Etsy habit (for example) to help make calculating your 2015 use tax as simple as possible.

Reports state that cyber-criminals were able to gain access to taxpayer accounts by obtaining specific, personal information, which allowed them to navigate the Get Transcript authentication process. The IRS said, since February, there have been about 200,000 attempts to access taxpayer’s Get Transcript accounts from “questionable email domains – of which, about 100,000 were successful.

Just when you thought it was safe to let your guard down, cyber-criminals have blindsided us again. This time they’ve used the Internal Revenue Service’s “Get Transcript” application to gain access to approximately 100,000 taxpayer accounts.

The IRS released a statement Tuesday stating the government agency is “working aggressively to protect affected taxpayers and strengthen [their] protocols even further going forward,” after learning that hackers used “non-IRS sources” to access data, including Social Security information, dates of birth and street addresses associated with the accounts of nearly 100,000 taxpayers. The IRS said the security breach occurred when criminals gained access to its online Get Transcript application, which has since been shut down pending a full investigation by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.

According to the IRS, “the online application will remain disabled until the IRS makes modifications and further strengthens security for it.”

The data breach was limited to the Get Transcript application, said an IRS representative. The main IRS computer system that manages tax filing submissions was not affected and remains secure.

Reports state that the criminals were able to gain access to the accounts by obtaining information specific to the certain taxpayers, which allowed them to navigate the Get Transcript authentication process, which includes asking the user to answer several personal questions to confirm their identity. The IRS said, since February, there have been about 200,000 attempts to access taxpayer’s Get Transcript accounts from “questionable email domains – of which, about 100,000 were successful.

Expect to receive a letter in the mail if your account was one of the 200,000 accounts targeted. And if your account was one of those that were compromised, your letter will provide additional information, including specific instructions to access free credit monitoring services that will be provided by the IRS to ensure your data is not being used in other financially damaging ways. According to the IRS, the letters started going out this week.

Concerned about identity theft as a result of this breach? Click here to learn what to do if your identity is stolen or if your personal information is compromised.

If you are a business owner, do you have protocols in place to protect your business from a cybercriminal?Email Rea & Associates to learn how you can protect your business from a cyberattack. You can also get some useful tips and information in the related articles below.

Summer is an exciting time for families. It’s a time to get outside and have fun hanging out by the pool or to catch fireflies in a jar at the end of a long day. For many parents though, the summer holiday is overshadowed by the need to find affordable childcare during your work hours. The good news is that your opportunity to claim the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit doesn’t end at the last day of school. In fact, you may be able to claim a variety of summertime childcare expenses when tax season rolls around again. Check out the list below to familiarize yourself with this credit.

8 Tips To Help You Claim The Child Care Tax Credit

Child care must have been provided so that you (and your spouse if filing jointly) can work or actively look for work. Your spouse must also meet this obligation during any month in which the child was a full-time student or was physically and/or mentally incapable of self-care.

You must have earned income. Earned income includes earnings such as wages and self-employment. If you are married filing jointly, your spouse must also have earned income. There’s an exception to this rule for a spouse who is a full-time student or who is physically and/or mentally incapable of self-care.

Care must have been provided for dependent(s) younger than 13 years old. Your spouse or another dependent qualifies if they lived with you for more than have the year and are physically and/or mentally incapable of self-care.

Qualifying child care expenses include those that are used to secure enrollment at a daycare facility outside the home or at a day camp. Expenses for overnight camps or summer school tutoring do not qualify. NOTE: If you pay someone to come to your home to care for your child or children, you may be a household employer. For more information, see IRS Household Employer’s Tax Guide.

The credit is a percentage of the qualified expenses you pay for the care of a qualifying person and can be up to 35 percent of your expenses, depending on your income.

You can claim up to $3,000 of your total unreimbursed expenses you pay in a year for one qualifying person or $6,000 for two or more qualifying persons.

Keep your receipts and records to use when you file your 2015 tax return next year. Make sure to note the name, address and Social Security number or employer identification number of the care provider. You must report this information when you claim the credit on your return.

Email Rea & Associates to learn more about the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit or other tax incentives you may qualify for.

Traditionally, companies with strong, positive cash flows are those with proper pricing models in place, a healthy labor force, controlled spending and active collections. When it’s time to grow, they are ready to make a move.

You know the satisfaction you feel when all of your debts have been settled and any extra cash flowing into your bank account is purely disposable income. Neither do I. But, contrary to popular belief, if you are a business owner, carrying a little extra debt could be a good thing – and here’s why …

One of the most important jobs a business owner has is to prepare, monitor and analyze their company’s cash flow. As the single most important tool you have in your business’s arsenal, your company’s cash flow (business income minus its cash payments) provides you with an accurate way to measure its overall financial wellness.

Do You Know What You Need To Grow?

One of the most powerful ways to measure how well your company is doing is to monitor its projected/forecasted cash flow while analyzing the business’s past financial information.

Your company’s projected/forecasted cash flow should provide you an educated prediction of your future cash income and expenses. You can use this information to develop the initiatives needed to ensure the long-term growth and sustainability of your business.

When you monitor your company’s past cash flow you will tap into the data needed to zero in on the business’s strengths and weaknesses – effectively shining a light on processes, products, services and strategies that are hindering your company’s growth. Then you can act quickly to build upon the objectives that work and eliminate those that hinder ongoing success.

Traditionally, companies with strong, positive cash flows are those with proper pricing models in place, a healthy labor force, controlled spending and active collections. (Notice that I didn’t say that these companies were debt free!)

Leverage Cash Flow, Leverage Your Debt

The word “debt” has a bad reputation. Yes, for many reasons living your life and managing your business “debt free” can be a great thing. But, especially in business, working exclusively for the purpose of eliminating all debt can actually hinder you from experiencing healthy, sustainable growth. For example, in the quest to settle your company’s debts, you may be left with an anemic savings account and little-to-no cash to jump on opportunities that arise and could potentially propel your company to new heights. As a savvy business owner, you should always anticipate changes that could positively and negatively impact your business. The key is to leverage your company’s cash flow. Here are two ways you can get started.

Take advantage of financing opportunities with favorable interest rates.

Oftentimes, especially if you have taken the time to develop a strong relationship with a local financial institution, you can secure financing at a very low interest rate. This will allow you to take the cash that was not used to finance your project and reinvest it in the market, which can provide you with a better return. For example, in the current market, if you are able to finance new equipment for your company with an interest rate of 4 percent, you are free to invest your own cash in the market, which could yield a return rate greater than the interest charges you owe to the bank per your financing agreement.

Utilize a line of credit

One of the best ways to invest in your business is to make sure you have the cash on hand that will allow you to take advantage of unforeseen opportunities. It’s hard to predict when a strategic partnership or change in the marketplace can open up a door that had previously remained shut. But when it does, an open line of credit makes seizing the opportunity possible while ensuring that your business’s current operations remain unaffected.

If you practice strategic control over your business, make sure you are giving your cash flow the same attention. To properly leverage your company’s debt you must constantly monitor your cash flow to ensure that these strategies make sense for you. Email Rea & Associates to learn more about leveraging your cash flow and whether it is the best move for your company.

Enacting proper policies throughout the organization will not only help rectify problems that stem from a weak system of governance, they will help solidify the connection between the directors and their organization while putting a solid structure in place for streamlining the nonprofit’s central objectives, such as fundraising, budgeting and lobbying.

If you had to guess, how strong do you think your nonprofit organization’s policies are? If you’re unsure or have that gut feeling they’re not strong, you’re certainly not alone. After surveying more than 900 directors of nonprofit organizations, the Stanford Graduate School of Business, in collaboration with BoardSource and GuideStar, reported some concerning findings in their 2015 Survey on Board of Directors of Nonprofit Organizations.

You may know that it’s important to have good governance when it comes to ensuring the stability and strength of your organization. Without having the right procedures in place to help govern the board of directors and the institution as a whole, the entire organization risks collapse.

While securing sources of revenue and recruiting new members are critical elements of every nonprofit, the real backbone of your organization is your board’s governance. Without the proper structure in place to help shape and reinforce your vision, mission and objectives, your board will not have the tools needed to lead – making your funding and membership objectives less effective.

“Over two thirds (69 percent) of nonprofit directors say their organization has faced one or more serious governance-related problems in the past 10 years. Forty percent say they have been unable to meet fundraising targets. Twenty-nine percent have experienced serious financial difficulty. A quarter (23 percent) have asked their executive director to leave or had to respond to unexpected resignation [and] sixteen percent say they have had extreme difficulty attracting qualified new board members.”

While the shortcomings underscored by this report highlight a widespread problem throughout the nonprofit industry, the solution may be as simple as writing (or reevaluating) and implementing a variety of key policies. Enacting proper policies throughout the organization will not only help rectify problems that stem from a weak system of governance, they will help solidify the connection between the directors and their organization while putting a solid structure in place for streamlining the nonprofit’s central objectives, such as fundraising, budgeting and lobbying. Policies can, and should, be in place to help manage the organization’s advisory council, board member orientation, ethics, confidentiality, donor relations, performance, and sponsorship activity – among many others.

Not sure what policies you should have in place? Take a look at this comprehensive Not-for-Profit Policy Checklist. Here are also a few examples of sample policies to give you greater insight into what you should be striving to accomplish.

Ensuring that you have the right team in place – from the ground floor to upper management – is a solid, common sense strategy for business owners who are looking to add short-term and long-term value to their business. Not only are customers and clients more likely to equate your team’s passion with quality, which helps secure new business and develop long-term relationships, but the strength and self-sufficiency of your team is a major incentive to investors.

Go ahead. Take pride in all that you’ve accomplished. Relive the moment you decided to go into business and reflect on your trials and triumphs. And as you reminisce, identify everyone who helped you achieve your vision – because chances are you didn’t get where you are by yourself.

Make no mistake. In business, the strength of your team directly impacts your company’s success and overall val­ue. Therefore, it’s never been more im­portant to ensure that your exit from the company doesn’t lead to a “going out of business” sale.

Your Company’s Longevity

As a business owner, it’s your responsibility to continually evaluate your busi­ness. Part of the evaluation process is ensuring that the right people are in the right place to help guide and grow your company – even when you’re not around.

Whether they move on or retire, eventually every person on your leadership team will leave, including you. You must decide what kind of impact this will have on your company when it happens.

One of the best strategies you can em­brace is to become obsolete. That’s not to say that your work is not important, it just means that your team, your business, does not depend on you for its survival.

Every time you recruit an employee, you have an opportunity to reinforce your company’s mission. Do your due diligence to make sure the people you hire are on board with the company’s vision. They will continue to set the tone after you leave, which is why the qualities you consider when hiring a candidate should go beyond their education and experi­ence. Anyone you hire must have the passion to succeed, the capacity to learn and a personality that helps them easily overcome complicated situations. From entry-level to leadership positions, your ability to maintain a strong team ensures the longevity of your business.

Is Your Team Valuable?

Ensuring that you have the right team in place – from the ground floor to up­per management – is a solid, common sense strategy for business owners who are looking to add short- and long-term value to their business. Not only are customers and clients more likely to equate your team’s passion with quality, which helps secure new business and develop long-term relationships, but the strength and self-sufficiency of your team is a major incentive to investors.

When it comes to your retirement plan, planning ahead can mean the difference between sipping tropical drinks on a beach to taking on a part-time job at 75 to make ends meet. Is your retirement plan advisor working in your best interest?

Do your employees dream of spending their golden years on a sun-drenched beach, sipping tropical drinks from a coconut shell? Or do you think they’re looking forward to taking on a part-time job at age 70 to pay medical bills and their mortgage? Like you, they’re probably expecting an R&R-fueled retirement – but they need your help getting there.

An employer-sponsored retirement plan is a great tool for business owners. Not only do retirement plans provide businesses with leverage when it comes to attracting and retaining a skilled workforce, employers that make contributions to their employee’s accounts are entitled to tax incentives – which gives you more control over your company’s cash flow.

From Business Strategy To Retirement Planning

Whether your company presently offers a retirement plan or is planning to beef up its benefits package, work with a retirement plan advisor who can review your options and identify the plan that best addresses your company’s unique challenges. You’ll need to:

Identify The Primary Purpose Of Your Retirement Plan
Will your retirement plan be used as a recruitment tool or as a tax shelter? While all plans accomplish a little of both, make sure your plan design meets your needs. For example, when a closely held business offers a retirement plan, its primary goal is to provide maximum retirement benefits and income tax deferral to the owners, while minimizing the cost of benefits to the employees. Incorporating a retirement plan into your existing benefit package is also an opportunity to diversify your assets away from the reach of creditors – making you less dependent on the value of your company to provide an income stream in retirement.

Get To Know Your TeamDoes your company hire younger workers? Do you have an established workforce that will retire from your company? Do you have high turnover? What does your projected workforce growth look like? Your plan design should consider your demographic information – and promote the short- and long-term financial wellness of your employees and your business.

Put Your Own Retirement Goals In Perspective
Your employees aren’t the only ones looking at your employer-sponsored retirement plan as a dependable source of retirement income. You and other key employees will likely use the plan as well. That’s why, during the design phase, your advisor will take a look at the current and projected profitability of your company alongside the ratio of key employees and the company’s other employees.

When all is said and done, your plan design could be the thing that stands between your employees and a comfortable retirement – or it could be what lets them reap the benefits of all their years of hard work.

It’s hard to avoid the topic of charter school reform these days. From news reports to proposed policy changes, everybody seems to have an opinion when it comes to the proper way to manage these public educational institutions. While it’s still too early to rewrite policy, it doesn’t hurt to monitor the ever-changing pulse of the legislature, especially when it has the potential to drastically impact the way our state’s charter schools are managed.

As students continue to flock to charter schools within their communities, the increased demand has effectively changed the landscape of Ohio’s education facilities. The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools reports that during the 2013-14 school year a record 119,533 students opted to attend one of Ohio’s 400 charter schools. Such a shift in our educational system has spurred increased scrutiny of the charter school industry and has prompted state leaders to call for increased organizational and financial transparency and accountability.

Slideshow: Top 5 Tips For Charter Schools

Charter Schools Continue To Grow In Popularity

Charter schools have proven their worth and show no signs of going away, which has fueled efforts to secure greater regulation and oversight over the institutions. So far this year there has been no shortage of charter school reform proposals – with the most recent one being introduced by State Sen. Peggy Lehner mid-April.

The charter school reforms that are being debated in Ohio’s legislature call for companies and organizations responsible for operating the schools to do so under “higher standards” of quality education. Proponents of reform cite a trend of lower test scores and point to the government funding charter schools currently receive to back a position of greater accountability and transparency.

“Charter schools can be examples of exceptional education,” Lehner told The Cleveland Plain Dealer in April. “But Ohio has been ‘extremely loose’ in its rules about who can run (manage) schools … and (has) ‘failed to put up the sort of guardrails’ that force the schools to be of high quality.”

According to the Cleveland publication, the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) points to the success of many national charter schools as examples how communities and students can continue to benefit from properly managed privately-held institutions and point to the importance of outside agencies, namely school districts, state or city panels, colleges and non-profits, “to do a better job of making sure schools provide solid educations to children.”

The three proposals introduced so far this year all call for stricter oversight with regard to which entities are authorized to set up charter schools across the state.

How Are These Proposals Different?

The more charter schools grow in popularity, the more attention they get in the legislature – especially in Ohio where during the 2013-14 school year a record 119,533 students attended one of the state’s public charter schools.

Gov. John Kasich’s budget proposal called for Ohio’s charter schools to receive two new potential funding sources while holding school sponsors to a higher standard of accountability. His proposal sought to generate a $25 million facilities fund, which would be available only to the highest-rated sponsors. Those highly-rated sponsors would also be allowed to seek local tax levies while advocating for the closure of poorly performing schools. Furthermore, he would:

Require all sponsors to be approved by the Ohio Department of Education and go through the state review and rating process.

Prevent sponsors from selling goods and/or services to the schools they sponsor in an effort to avoid conflicts of interest.

Mandate that all charter schools only employ treasurers, auditors and lawyers who are not affiliated with the school’s sponsor or management company.

Advocate for stronger rules for schools and operators that apply directly to the state for sponsorship.

The next charter school reform that was proposed, House Bill 2, was touted as a solution that would promote accountability, transparency and responsibility by:

Requiring all charter schools – including district-created dropout recovery schools – to be included in the Ohio Department of Education’s report card.

Mandating that all contracts between schools and sponsors include more detail about expected academic performance of the schools as well as details about the school’s facilities and rental or loan costs.

Preventing charter schools from frequently changing sponsors in order to appear as though they are in good standing.

Requiring the full disclosure of all conflicts of interest.

Calling for the annual disclosure of financial reports that allow sponsors to better monitor the school while advising it.

Instructing all management companies or organizations to begin reporting their performance.

Prevent sponsors from selling goods and/or services to the schools they sponsor in an effort to avoid conflicts of interest.

Prohibiting school district employees and vendors from sitting on the school’s governing board.

Ensuring that school treasurers will no longer be hired by the school’s sponsor.

State Sen. Lehner’s most current proposal reportedly “takes many pieces of [the other proposals] and adds additional controls – and benefits.” The Cleveland Plain Dealer states “the bill does not have the state directly close poor-performing charters quickly … instead [it] takes the more indirect path that the charter school community prefers nationally. The bill pressures the ‘sponsors’ … to raise standards.” Her bill aims to:

Strengthen language that will prohibit “sponsor hopping.”

Increase the transparency associated with expenditures generated by operators.

Require all sponsors to have a contract with the Ohio Department of Education [ODE].

Incorporate Gov. Kasich’s charter school sponsor oversight proposal.

Limit the direct authorizing by the ODE and allows it to decline applicants.

Encourage high performing schools with facilities by encouraging co-location and facility funding.

I am sure we will hear much more about this issue before it comes to a vote. But in the meantime, keep following these events and consider how changes might affect you. Email Rea & Associates to find out how we can help you overcome current challenges while preparing for the future.

Join organizations, attend events, and talk to other leaders about your business, your industry and your role in the world. It’s time to be the business leader you’ve always wanted to be.

As the driving force behind your company’s growth and success you have undoubtedly spent countless hours and dollars strategizing, networking and juggling a laundry list of managerial responsibilities. But your effort has paid off – today, you are praised for your work and are regarded as a leading entrepreneur within your industry. But maybe it feels like you have only begun to scratch the surface and that your business is long overdue for a growth spurt. While these are great challenges to have in the business world, if you are spending all your time in the office instead of hitting the pavement, it could seem like your ability to expand further is simply unattainable.

Throughout my career I have had the pleasure of working with many successful business owners. And while these men and women possess the skills, expertise and leadership traits essential for success in their respective industries, they have all learned that they are not immune to getting caught up in day-to-day managerial distractions. It can happen to anybody and before you know it you are caught up in a fruitless, energy-sapping, time-consuming headache that hurts your effectiveness as a business leader and prevents your company from achieving the growth and revenue you know it is capable of.

When that happens, it’s time to stop what you are doing, take a step back and reassess your organizational development strategy.

Work On Your Business, Not In It

“[The] executives who ignited the transformations from good to great did not first figure out where to drive the bus and then get people to take it there,” says Jim Collins in his book Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap … And Others Don’t. “No, they first got the right people on the bus (and the wrong people off the bus) and then figured out where to drive it.”

In other words, if you want to continue to grow a successful company, you can’t do it alone. While this advice may sound cliché, your ability to develop a strong organizational structure is directly responsible for your company’s long-term success. But it’s not easy and getting “the right people on the bus (and the wrong people off)” has been the single hardest objective for some of the most talented business owners. But once you are able to achieve this step, you will finally be able to maximize your time and talent by working on your business, instead of in your business.

How To Lead Your Business By Developing Your Organization

First you must understand that organizational development is a never-ending process. To get started, develop a formal organizational chart and take time to identify “the right people” to effectively fill the top positions on your chart. To aid in the flexibility and evolution of your business’s organizational development, consider forming an advisory board to bring outside objectivity to the process.

Next, step away from the daily grind of running your business. It’s time to be the business leader you’ve always wanted to be. Join organizations, attend events, and talk to other leaders about your business, your industry and your role in the world. Doing so will help you earn respect and influence throughout your community.

Once you put some distance between yourself and the day-to-day grind of your company, you will be able to lead your company more objectively. This is an ideal time to observe your current organizational structure and brainstorm strategies to help you achieve your future success with your inner circle. Just make sure that those who make up your inner circle are not like you, will tell you the truth, will add value to you and your organization and are willing to have crucial conversations.

Now that you have solidified your role as a business leader, it’s time to empower those in your organization to take ownership of the company and their place in it. This includes giving them the ability to make decisions while supporting and encouraging them and demonstrating your willingness to follow their lead.

One of the most critical responsibilities of a business leader is planning for the future of your company. How will you transition your business once it is time to retire? What should you do now to ensure your company’s longevity? Do you know how much your business is actually worth? In order to protect your most important investment, your business, it is important to thoroughly understand the value of your business and develop a plan for its continued growth.

Starting your business is hard; growing your business is even harder. You will make mistakes. When you do get it wrong,act swiftly to make the necessary changes.

Maximize your time and talent. Email Rea & Associates today to learn more growth and development tips for your business. I won’t say that we have seen it all, but we have certainly seen a lot.

Current news reports suggest that oil and gas companies will continue to invest in Ohio’s shale industry which could provide more opportunities for land owners.

For many of us, the future of Ohio’s shale industry has become a regular topic of conversation. And as a landowner in the state’s Marcellus and Utica shale regions, you’ve probably wondered what (if any) effect current events, such as the state budget and plunging energy prices, will have on your financial well-being. While nobody can predict the future, I’m optimistic we won’t see any major slowdowns over the next few years. Here are a few reasons why:

Severance Tax Sees The Cutting Room Floor

We recently learned that Gov. Kasich’s plan to increase the state’s severance tax on horizontal drilling to pay for the plan to cut income taxes was removed in the newest rendition of the state’s proposed budget bill.

The governor’s original two-year budget plan called for oil and gas produced by horizontal wells to be taxed at a 6.5 percent tax rate for product sold at the wellhead – while 4.5 percent tax would have been applied to product sold downstream. Earlier this year, Ohio Tax Commissioner Joe Testa told the media that the governor’s proposed tax hike was because Ohio’s horizontal drilling industry has become more developed and that drilling has proved to be less expensive than anticipated. In response, American Petroleum Institute’s Executive Director, Chris Zeigler, argued that the original budget proposal placed the “future development of Ohio Shale at serious risk.”

Now that the proposed tax increase in question has been removed, one could assume that drilling companies are breathing a sigh of relief. However, while there appears to be no new initiatives in play to raise the existing severance tax rate at the moment, the new budget proposal still has a long legislative journey to make before the June 30 deadline.

Shale Investment Appears To Be Untouched By Low Energy Prices

Lower prices at the pump might be a bit unnerving if you are, for example, in the process of finalizing a mineral lease agreement. But have no fear, even though new drilling initiatives in Ohio’s shale regions are slowing, according to Business Journal Daily, “oil and gas exploration continues to have positive ramifications across the region.”

As Ohio’s oil and gas industry matures, it continues to become more efficient, which has helped it persevere at a time when oil producers in the Middle East and elsewhere appear to be maintaining higher production quotas in an effort to price horizontal drillers out of the market. For example, the practice of “super fracking,” by which producers pump higher quantities of sand into the wells they fracture, has increased productivity from 400 barrels a day to 600. The result is a lower break-even cost for producers and, in general, more staying power than experts had initially thought.

To date, Energy In Depth, an oil and gas trade organization, estimates that Ohio’s shale industry has grown to $22.3 billion, and expects it to grow by another $8.1 billion by 2016, with the construction or extension of additional pipeline infrastructure, power plants and processing plants. In other words – don’t expect the Ohio’s oil and gas industry to slow down any time soon. In fact, it could be expanding as landowners from other parts of the state appear to have been approached by companies looking to increase their reserves.

Companies Eye Mercer County For Fossil Fuel

About 10,000 acres of farmland located in the Mercer County area, about 60 miles southwest of Lima, has been leased for 3D seismic oil and gas exploration according to The Daily Standard, a local news publication. The leased property, which is primarily farmland, will be subjected to noninvasive 3D seismic tests that will identify whether “significant amounts of oil and/or gas” are present. The results are expected to be available by June.

The newspaper reports that “[more] than 90 land leases involving thousands of acres have been filed in Mercer County since 2013 between various companies and property owners … the legal documents give companies access to test, drill or perform other action on the land as stipulated in each agreement.” Mercer County Commissioners agreed to test some government-owned property as well.

This news is not only important to the residents of Mercer County, but to residents throughout Ohio. The fact that companies are actively seeking to further their investment within the state is promising for all landowners. And at the very least, this recent move signifies that these companies have no plans packing up and shipping out anytime in the near future.

Email Rea & Associates if you have questions about how current events could affect your leasing options or if you are considering entering into a lease agreement for drilling or exploratory purposes.

All businesses that hired members of targeted groups, such as qualifying veterans, must submit Form 8850, a pre-screening notice and certification request for each employee hired between Jan. 1, 2014 and Dec. 31, 2014 to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services no later than April 30, 2015 to qualify for the WOTC.

It was a cold evening last December when Congress finally voted in favor of extending more than 50 tax provisions considered critical by several businesses and individuals. The Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014 provided assurance that certain incentives would remain intact and that certain provisions would be put in place to allow for the retroactive extension of some key deadlines. Among them was the deadline to claim the 2014 Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC). Now, as we teeter at the end of April, that deadline is set to expire.

What You Need To Know

All businesses that hired members of targeted groups, such as qualifying veterans, must submit Form 8850, a pre-screening notice and certification request for each employee hired between Jan. 1, 2014 and Dec. 31, 2014 to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services no later than April 30, 2015 to qualify for the WOTC.

According to the Internal Revenue Service, under normal circumstances, eligible employers are required to file the appropriate information with their respective workforce agencies within 28 days of the employees start date. Section 51 of the Internal Revenue Code concerning the WOTC states that eligible employers may claim a tax credit for a percentage of the qualified employee’s first-year wages (and second-year wages for some eligible hires).

The retirement savings provision outlined in the 2016 Budget Proposal not only provides individual Americans with an opportunity to save, it seeks to provide financial incentives to eligible companies that establish their own 401(k), auto-IRA or that offer another similar retirement plan to their employees by expanding the small business tax credit.

It’s difficult to paint a picture that adequately portrays the retirement readiness of the American people. How prepared the average person is for this phase of their life greatly depends on which report you are reading today. As a whole, however, credible sources indicate that as a population we are simply not prepared to take on the financial responsibility of supporting ourselves later in life, which is a problem that has received a lot of attention from our nation’s leaders.

Last year marked the introduction of myRA, a retirement account program that encourages individuals without access to an employer-sponsored retirement plan to save for their retirement. Developed by the United States Department of the Treasury, myRA seeks to offer a solution to those who “face barriers to saving for retirement.” But that’s not the only chatter heard on Capitol Hill these days, with regard to the retirement savings habits of Americans. Members of Congress have proposed other solutions that they hope will make the retirement picture a little bit brighter.

2016 Budget Proposal Addresses Retirement Savings

The U.S. government’s 2016 Budget Proposal includes provisions that target the promotion of retirement goals.

“Millions of working Americans lack access to a retirement savings plan at work. Fewer than 10 percent of those without plans at work save in a retirement account on their own. In 2015, retirement security will be one of the key topics of the White House Conference on Aging. The Budget would make it easy and automatic for workers to save for retirement through their employer – giving 30 million more workers access to a workplace savings opportunity. The Budget also ensures that long-term part-time employees can participate in their employers’ retirement plans and provides tax incentives to offset administrative expenses for small businesses that adopt retirement plans.”

What is important to note is that, in addition to retirement security, the Proposal focuses on generating government revenue, which would (in part) go toward the creation of new tax benefit programs. The impact, according to the Whitehouse, would result in savings for as many as 30 million American taxpayers.

Today, nearly 78 million working Americans are unable to save for retirement simply because they are not eligible to enroll or because their employer doesn’t offer the opportunity to save for retirement. This Proposal introduces a solution for those who would like to begin saving for their golden years.

For example, one possible scenario outlined within the budget calls for all part time workers (those who have worked for their current employer at least 3 consecutive years and who have worked at least 500 hours during each year of their employment), who are not currently contributing to a retirement plan, to be allowed to contribute to the company’s existing retirement plan without requiring the plan sponsor to add matching contributions for such individuals.

Another is for those who do not have access to an employer-based retirement plan, however, would be automatically enrolled in a separate IRA program, which would be funded by payroll withholdings. Of course, the taxpayer would have the option to opt out of the program.

What’s In It for the Employer?

The retirement savings provision outlined in the 2016 Budget Proposal not only provides individual Americans with an opportunity to save, it seeks to provide financial incentives to eligible companies that establish their own 401(k), auto-IRA or that offer another similar retirement plan to their employees by expanding the small business tax credit.

This provision would also include an additional credit for small businesses that currently offer retirement plans to include an automatic enrollment feature within their plans.

Employees who are still unable to save for retirement will have a third option available. The Budget Proposal calls for the allocation of $6.5 million to the Department of Labor, which would allow a limited number of states to implement state-based auto enroll IRAs or 401(K)-type programs.

Mind the Cap

President Barack Obama’s 2016 Budget Proposal, while ambitious in its initiative to strengthen Social Security and incentivize retirement savings programs for Americans, also includes a provision that had been proposed (and rejected) before. The additional provision seeks to cap (prohibit additional contributions) on IRAs and other tax-preferred retirement plans once they reach a balance of $3.4 million.

According to the president, this step ensures that the individual secures sufficient annual income in retirement while preventing the “overuse” of existing tax advantages by those who are able to contribute additional funds, creating higher balance accounts. The cap would also help the government generate additional revenue because the funds that exceed the $3.4 million cap would now be taxable under this provision.

As always, when it comes to the future of Social Security and the overall retirement readiness of the American people a lot can change in a short amount of time. The 2016 Budget Proposal still has a long way to go before any of the provisions outlined within become reality. It’s important for you to be aware of these provisions and how they could change our current retirement plan landscape.

While the 2014 tax season is now over, it’s never too early to start strategizing to secure future tax savings. For example, have you thought about improving your current processes to become more efficient? Believe it or not, taking steps to make your company “lean” may be just what you need to qualify for future tax savings.

If you own a small-to-midsize company, you probably haven’t given much thought to how the Research & Development (R&D) tax credit could help you. You might even think that the R&D credit is reserved for big businesses with tons of money to spare on technological investments. If so, then you may want to change your thought process and your business strategy.

Planning ahead is a great way to save your company’s tax dollars and there are many successful strategies from which to choose.Click here to find out if you should be making a big purchase for your company that will help cut your tax bill.

The R&D tax credit applies to more than just businesses that have research facilities. In fact, many businesses across a range of industries may qualify for this valuable credit, but instead of asking their financial advisor for guidance, they give in to the misconception that they are not “big enough” or that they have not “big enough investments in technology.”

I recommend you avoid this mindset at all costs.

Plan For The Future

While the 2014 tax season is now over, it’s never too early to start strategizing to secure future tax savings. For example, have you thought about improving your current processes to become more efficient? Believe it or not, taking steps to make your company “lean” may be just what you need to qualify for future tax savings.

According to consulting firm Smart Devine, in order to qualify for the R&D credit, your company must engage in an activity or initiative that:

Is technological in nature – Meaning it must rely on at least one of the following: physical sciences, biological sciences, computer science and engineering.

Is being conducted for a permitted purpose – Meaning that it must be intended to improve functionality, performance, reliability and quality.

Involves the elimination of uncertainty – Meaning the activity must be intended to identify information required to eliminate technical uncertainty.

Involves an experimentation process – Meaning that there must be some elements of experimentation, such as trial and error testing, prototyping, development and analysis of hypothesis.

The expenses that will be used to calculate the credit include your wages for research, supplies and contract research expenses.

Still Not Sure?

OK, so maybe you haven’t committed to an extensive lean-oriented strategy yet. That’s alright. There are many ways to qualify for this credit. Start by asking yourself the following four questions:

Are you constantly developing new products or altering old products for new uses?

Have you had a lean event to try and increase the productivity of a manufacturing facility, a single manufacturing line, or even a specific machine?

Have you developed internal software because you couldn’t find one that met your needs on the market?

Do you constantly develop prototypes to make sure your machines can produce a product that meets customer specifications?

If you answered yes to any one of these scenarios, chances are good that you will qualify for the credit.

Next Steps

If you do indeed qualify to receive the R&D credit, make an extra effort to maintain adequate records to substantiate the credit. This may seem daunting, but you are probably gathering the necessary information already. You probably just need to filter or tweak what you are already doing.

Email Rea & Associates to learn more about the Research & Development Credit and how to identify expenses that could qualify while promoting your company’s overall growth and sustainability. You may also be eligible to claim the R&D credit retroactively, contact us to learn more.

Bright Idea: Make sure everyone in your family has their financial information organized in one place. The organizer you’ll find in the financial resources section of our website is a great place to start. Click here to view our Personal Financial Records Document and get started today.

The value of our existence is measured by an infinite collection of meaningful moments that have shaped our lives and the lives of those around us. Perhaps our most precious moments occur when we positively impact the lives of our loved ones. We are all capable of initiating these moments and, sometimes, a simple conversation is all that is needed to provide insurmountable relief – now and for years to come.

Find out what else you can do now to improve your personal and financial well-being.

Even if they have never expressed their concern about the realities of aging before, it is almost certain that your parents are worried about their own mortality. Because this topic doesn’t typically find its way into casual conversation, it is your responsibility to broach the subject. Your parents will be grateful you did.

Here are five things you can do now to actively protect your loved one’s assets:

1. Overcome Your Discomfort

The first conversation about your loved ones’ finances is probably the most uncomfortable one, but it’s also the most important. It’s uncomfortable to talk to our parents about their death. Mom and Dad don’t find it thrilling either because they don’t want to be a burden. But as awkward as it is to discuss, you may eventually be shouldered with responsibility of managing the affairs your parents leave behind.

2. Set Up A Power Of Attorney

In order for you to assume this important role, you must be named as your parents’ power of attorney. This step gives you legal authority to pay their bills, maintain their residence, complete tax returns and review their financial investments.

If your power of attorney was established more than two years ago, verify that it was issued properly by today’s standards. Even though powers of attorney never expire, some have reported having problems with establishments that have updated their forms. The new forms no longer identify powers of attorney that were named several years ago.

Your parents can name multiple powers of attorney. But to avoid possible disputes, make sure that you and your siblings have your own, clearly defined responsibilities. Also, if your parents have decided to name a power of attorney, and it’s not you, make a point to respect their decision – even if you don’t agree with it. As long as a plan is in place, you and your family are on the right track.

3. Understand Your Responsibilities

Being a power of attorney is a big responsibility. Not only are you empowered to make tough decisions, your actions are now able to be scrutinized by everybody from the IRS to other family members. To avoid problems, carefully track how much money is coming in and going out and maintain thorough records. And call in the professionals if you feel like you’re in over your head.

4. Send In The Team

In the past, did your parents work with a team of professionals to manage their finances, legal affairs or anything else? If so, make it a priority to talk to them before moving any money or assets around. You will need to know if your parents set up a will, trusts, or anything else over the course of their lives. This team will not only be able to compile the information you need, they can answer your technical questions, which will make the entire process go smoother.

5. Compile An Inventory

To manage anything well you must have a clear picture of what it is you are managing. To that end, make it a point to compile a complete inventory of your parent’s assets and liabilities to create a clearer plan of action.

6. Simplify, Simplify, Simplify

Once you understand your responsibilities, simplify everything. For example, if your parents have seven or eight open bank accounts throughout the county or state, consolidate them into one – and don’t stop there. From assets to investments, consolidating these affairs will make your job easier and less confusing as you try to track expenses.

It’s not easy to manage your loved ones finances, but with the right approach, plan and team of advisors, you can do it – and do it well. Once you get your ducks in a row, you can focus on other, more important things – like making every moment with your loved ones count.

We find ourselves, once again, at the end of another income tax season. A time of year that many American taxpayers (and accountants) hold dear. We, however, know that while tax season may be “officially” over, there is still plenty of tax work to be done.

The first four months of the year is a busy time for accountants and, because we work closely with so many small businesses all year long, we are acutely aware of how much stress you are under to meet your first quarter obligations. This is why, instead of rushing just to get your taxes filed and out the door ahead of the April 15 deadline, we frequently recommend that our clients file for a tax extension.

Unfortunately, there are some pretty nasty rumors going around about tax extensions. Hopefully, I will be able to debunk some common tax extension myths while helping those who opted to extend their deadline sleep a little better tonight. Check out the slideshow and get the facts about tax extensions!

Myth 1:

Filing a tax extension increases your chance of an audit.

Truth:

First and foremost, your chance of being audited by the IRS does not increase simply because you chose to file a tax extension. In fact, in the event that you are chosen to undergo an audit, you will be able to go into the process with more confidence. Tax extensions can be great for businesses that were simply overwhelmed by other critical responsibilities during the first quarter of the year. When you give yourself the luxury of filing an extension, you give yourself more time to compile all the files and information necessary to make tax return prep as seamless and thorough as possible.

Myth 2:

Tax extensions burden accountants.

Truth:

On the contrary, fling an extension not only gives your accountant extra time to check and double check the work, it gives them the added time needed to provide better service. For example, we pride ourselves on our work ethic, attention to detail and client service – especially during busy season. However, as trusted financial advisors, we are able to better serve our clients better when we have a chance to help them understand the opportunities they qualify for and how they can use certain tax strategies to help plan for the future. Believe me when I tell you that we do not look at extensions as burdens.

Myth 3:

There is nothing to gain by filing a tax extension; it’s just a way to prolong the inevitable.

Truth:

Filing a tax extension not only gives you more time to file your return with the IRS and the state, it effectively stalls some of your other looming deadlines as well. For example, a tax extension can award you more time pay your profit sharing plan, defined benefit, or your SEP IRA as part of your retirement plan contribution, which is an excellent short- and long-term benefit! Once your extension has been filed, you will have more time to file your retirement plan contribution, all while claiming the deduction in your prior year’s return.

Email Rea & Associates to learn more about the benefits of filing income tax extension with the IRS and the state.

We’re down to the wire. Just another week to go before April 15 – Tax Day. If you’re still working on your taxes, and are looking for an opportunity to make a donation on your state tax return – consider supporting the Ohio History Connection’s efforts. Read on to find out how you can support history preservation efforts throughout Ohio and even in your community.

The Ohio History Connection has developed an innovative way to help Ohioans support history preservation efforts across the state and in their communities. The best part: it can all happen in a matter of seconds.

It’s called the History Fund. The History Fund creates grants to help support local history and preservation-related projects in communities throughout Ohio. The History Fund is supported by Ohio taxpayers that select “Ohio Historical Society” as a donation fund on their state tax returns (the state tax form hasn’t caught up with their recent name change yet.).The entire process takes just seconds to complete.

The impact of donations can last for generations. Over the last three years, the History Fund has received nearly $300,000 in voluntary funding from Ohio taxpayers. This allowed the Ohio History Connection to green light more than 30 historic preservation projects that wouldn’t have received funding otherwise. History organizations have been able to accomplish important projects that have been on their wish-lists for years.

The History Fund impacts organizations big and small. This year, Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame received a grant to preserve the work of Plain Dealer rock and roll reporter Jane Scott; in Athens, the Dairy Barn Arts Center received a grant to repair the structure of their community’s popular arts venue. In each case, the generosity of Ohioans helped preserve a chapter of Ohio’s more than 200-year-old story.

“The History Fund helps us share and preserve Ohio’s story by supporting local projects and programs in communities throughout the state,” said Burt Logan, executive director and CEO for the Ohio History Connection. “The work of local history organizations is helping to strengthen our heritage and ensure Ohio’s story is told for years to come.”

The History Fund needs to receive at least $150,000 this coming tax season to stay on Ohio’s tax forms for the next two years.

The grant program received $165,000 last year, with average donations of around $10.

“Small donations can make a big difference,” said Andy Verhoff, History Fund grants manager. “If every donor who gave last year gives just $10 from their refund, we’ll cross over the $150,000 threshold easily and have even more to grant in the future.”

The tax check-off process is a win-win for taxpayers and the state. History and preservation organizations across Ohio are revitalizing their communities, one project at a time.

You can see historic Ohioans Annie Oakley and the Wright Brothers promote the History Fund in public service announcements videos below.

Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Direct Pay has proven to be a popular choice among Americans who are looking for a quick and easy option for settling their tax balances.

By now, you probably have a good idea whether you have an outstanding tax bill from the government, but did you know you can settle your balance online? Since May 2014, Direct Pay, a free and secure payment option, has provided millions of taxpayers with the option of making payments to the Internal Revenue Service at a time, and in a place that is convenient for them.

Late last year, employers learned that they were expected to file their taxes and make payments exclusively online. Click here to read more.

According to the IRS, four months after the initial launch of the payment program, more than a million payments, totaling more than $1.7 billion, were successfully processed. The web site currently accepts payments for current year tax returns, estimated tax payments, extension payments and prior year balances.

Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Direct Pay has proven to be a popular choice among Americans who are looking for a quick and easy option for settling their tax balances. Those who make payments receive an instant confirmation message that their payment has been submitted. Or, if you need a little more time, you can schedule your payment up to 30 days in advance as well as choose if you would like your payment to be withdrawn directly from a checking or savings account. Making a payment is as easy as following six simple steps.

How To Make An Online Tax Payment

Choose the reason for making your payment. Your choices are that you are making an installment agreement payment, a tax return payment, an estimated tax payment, an amended return payment or “other” type of payment. Be sure to choose the applicable year.

Then, you must enter the amount you plan to pay and your bank information. (The IRS does not retain any routing or account numbers.

Finally, you will be directed to a “final authorization” page, which will provide you with an online confirmation.

Once your payment has been submitted using Direct Pay, allow two business days for processing. Note: Payments submitted after 8 p.m. EST will be processed on the next business day. And if you need to make a change to your scheduled payment, you can edit or cancel the payment up to 11:59 p.m. EST two business days before the payment is scheduled payment date.

Ohio Online Tax Payments

If you owe taxes to the State of Ohio, you can make your payments online as well by visiting www.tax.ohio.gov. The state’s online payment system also allows for advance payments and does not require registration.

Online payment options are another way government entities are making an effort to provide more user friendly services. By using Direct Pay, or the state’s web-based payment option, you can avoid a trip to the post office and, better yet, have more control over when your payment is made and received. Your tax preparer can help you determine if online payments make sense for you and can answer any questions you may have. Email Rea & Associates to learn more.

When you implement internal control components into your management strategy, you not only deter fraudulent behavior, you help improve the overall quality of your financial statements, which could result in improved transparency, fewer external audit findings and even additional growth and sustainability. Start establishing internal controls today by incorporating these five components into your daily business or organizational activities.

Will the lack of internal control procedures result in the untimely demise of your business or organization? Studies show that if you don’t take action against fraudulent behavior today, tomorrow could be too late. The term “fraud” covers a lot of ground and includes actions that ultimately affect the accuracy of your financial statements. In fact according to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), entities without internal control procedures are more likely to make errors on their financial statements and more likely to be victims of fraud, which is why it is so important for you to protect your business or organization with procedures that ensure accuracy and reliability of these records.

“The presence of anti-fraud controls is associated with reduced fraud losses and shorter fraud duration. Fraud schemes that occurred at victim organizations that had implemented any of several common anti-fraud controls were significantly less costly and were detected much more quickly than frauds at organizations lacking these controls” (ACFE, 2014).

Improve Accuracy, Eliminate Fraud

When you implement internal control components into your management strategy, you not only deter fraudulent behavior, you help improve the overall quality of your financial statements, which could result in improved transparency, fewer external audit findings and even additional growth and sustainability. Start establishing internal controls today by incorporating these five components into your daily business or organizational activities.

Control environment – There’s no doubt about it, when it comes to setting the tone of your business or organization, all eyes are on you. Employees, volunteers, management and even the general public are more likely to “walk the walk” AND “talk the talk” if they see that you hold them and yourself to the same expectations. When leaders demonstrate a good ethical and moral framework, appear to be approachable about all issues and a commitment to excellence, nearly everybody takes notice and adjusts their behavior accordingly. It also helps to develop a rapport with your management team to encourage engagement throughout all levels of leadership.

Risk assessment – Whether formal or informal, a risk assessment is critical to the process of identifying areas in which errors, misstatements or potential fraud is most likely to occur. By conducting a thorough risk assessment, you can identify which control activities to implement.

Control activities – The best way to safeguard your business or organization is to segregate duties. This means that you should have different employees managing different areas of the company’s accounting responsibilities. When you put one person in charge of your accounting process you are freely giving them the opportunity to alter documents or mismanage inventory – and it’s a clear indication that you have weak internal controls. Dividing the work among your other employees is critical to the checks and balances of your company or organization. It’s also a good idea to develop procedures for recording, posting and filing documentation. Here are a few activities to get you started:

Reconcile bank statements.

Require documentation with expense reports.

Match invoices with the goods and services you received prior to paying off your accounts payable balances.

Make sure the person who has access to your business assets is different from the person responsible for the accounting of those assets, which will establish a form of checks and balances.

Information and communication – Providing your employees with information about the internal control process and the resources available to them is a critical component to your success and the overall success of the internal control activities. In fact, simply knowing there are certain controls in place to promote accuracy and prevent fraud is enough to stop problems before they even start.

Monitoring activities – Your job doesn’t end at the implementation of your internal control procedures; in fact, it’s just beginning. For your internal controls to work (and work well) you must establish your monitoring activities – and monitor frequently. Establishing internal controls is great, but they will have no effect if you neglect to monitor them. Furthermore, your internal controls should grow with your business or organization to ensure their long-term effectiveness.

Risk management and internal controls are necessary for the long-term success of every business and organization and a financial statement audit is a great way to provide you with insight into the internal controls of your organization or business. This kind of review structure can potentially reveal problems you didn’t even know were there – including fraud. But what if you are not planning on conducting an audit on your financial statements this year? Another option could be to work with a CPA who can help you document an understanding of the design and effectiveness of your internal control policies as a way to reassess your current strategies and identify areas for improvement. Email Rea & Associates to find out what options are available and how internal controls can put a stop to fraud in the workplace.

Make an appointment with a tax expert who can help you develop a plan of action that strategically coordinates your child’s college scholarships, education tax credits and deductions to work with your tax-favored education plan.

You have scrimped and saved over the years to fund your child’s Coverdell Education Savings Account and/or qualified tuition program (529 plan), but it looks like you still won’t have enough saved in time to finance the entire cost of a college education. What do you do?

Don’t go shopping for that mini refrigerator and boxes of Ramen noodles just yet. Instead, make an appointment with a tax expert who can help you develop a plan of action that strategically coordinates your child’s scholarships, education tax credits and deductions to work with your tax-favored education plan. You may be surprised at just how far you can stretch your savings.

These three college savings account strategies will get you started:

You may already know that the American Opportunity Credit, Lifetime Learning Credit and an above-the-line deduction are available to taxpayers looking to reduce their out-of pocket, college-related expenses. Traditionally, these tax incentives are subject to certain income limitations and can only be used to cover tuition and certain fees, books and supplies – not room and board. But because distributions from a Coverdell Account or 529 plan CAN be used toward room and board (with some limitations) as well as other traditional college costs, it may be more cost effective to consider how you will pay for certain expenses to make the most of your tax incentives.

Make sure you know the college’s policy regarding how it allocates the funds it receives from tax-favored education plans. Every school is different and knowing your school’s policy beforehand can be extremely cost effective. For example, some colleges may apply funds received directly from a plan to tuition first – instead of room and board – thereby treating those funds as they would treat an outside scholarship. If your child has a large (or full) academic scholarship awarded by the college, having the money directly transferred from the plan to the school may reduce your child’s academic scholarship while leaving YOU to foot the entire bill for the room and board. If the distribution is made directly to the child (or the parent if the plan allows this) and then paid to the college, you don’t run the risk of the college treating the plan distribution as an outside scholarship.

Often considered the most advantageous credit for families, the American Opportunity Credit allows you to claim a tax credit of up to $2,500 (100 percent of the first $2,000 and 25 percent of the next $2,000) for qualified education expenses. But you will forfeit your chance to claim this credit if you use the funds in your education account to foot the entire tuition. Don’t just throw away $2,500. Instead, consider paying at least $4,000 of your child’s tuition and fees from a source other than your Coverdell account or 529 plan to claim the tax credit.

Coordinating education tax credits and deductions, distributions from tax-favored education accounts, and scholarships can be tricky, but they can also help you stretch your savings further than you thought was possible. Email Rea & Associates for more information.

Just because the IRS says you are no longer required to file Form 3115 to comply with its final tangible property regulations doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to stop. Read the article and find out why.

The IRS recently made the road on which business owners must travel to comply with final tangible property regulations a little less bumpy. Currently, most businesses that buy, depreciate, or repair property were required to file Form 3115 basically telling the IRS that the business had changed its accounting methods to comply with the new IRS rules and safe harbor, regardless of whether the change actually impacted their income.

Today, now that Revenue Procedure 2015-20 (15-20 relief) is in effect, small business taxpayers have the option of foregoing that extra paperwork. This relief removes the requirement to file a 3115 or statement with the tax return just to tell the IRS that you are making the changes. But, is that a good idea?

The main reason that you might still want to file a 3115 is if you have favorable tax adjustments from the past that you can harvest and take on your tax return this year. Filing the form is the only way to get at those. You also waive the audit protection for prior years that would be available with filing the 3115. But, you do get to save some money on tax prep fees and paperwork.

Here’s a brief “true-or-false” quiz to help you decide what to do. Of course you have to be eligible for the 15-20 relief, so the eligibility statements must be true. You should also consider filing a 3115 if you answer false to the later items.

Eligibility

True or False? Your small business’s assets total no more than $10 million or, over the last three years, your gross receipts have totaled no more than $10 million. (only need one of these to be true).

True or False? You will not file Form 3115 for any other business activity or any other change in accounting method for the year.

Non-eligibility

True or False? You get no benefit (or you don’t care about the benefit) from harvesting favorable 481(a) adjustments as a result of partial dispositions made in previous years.

True or False? You don’t care about prior year audit protection.

True or False? You believe that adequate records will otherwise be maintained with regard to what you have done (and are going to do) to protect against an audit. For example, if you have chosen not to do repair X, Y and Z because of your obligation to list it on Form 3115, will you continue to maintain that information in the event an audit were to occur?

Better Safe Than Sorry

Because it’s the only way to harvest prior year benefits and because most taxpayers desire the audit protection on these issues for prior years, we will likely continue to file Form 3115 for many of our clients.

Email Rea & Associates to learn more about Revenue Procedure 2015-20 and to find out if the new simplified method of reporting property changes is right for you.

When many of us start thinking about the realities of retirement, it’s already too late. Don’t let the “retirement culture shock” sneak up on you, these three tips will help as you attempt to navigate the road to retirement.

If you’re a newly retired American, then you are embarking on a new, exciting phase of your life. For many of you, increased travel, spending more time with grandchildren or pursuing a new hobby may be ways to enjoy this new journey.

But before you pack up your things and hop that next plane to Florida, here are three tips to help you avoid the retirement culture shock.

1. Taxes Don’t Vanish At 65

When you were an employee, your taxes were likely withheld from your paycheck. Today, however, is a new day. As a retiree, you no longer have a paycheck from which taxes can be withheld. But there are a few things you can do to make sure you won’t get hit with a large tax bill in April. For example, if you receive a regular pension payment or an annuity, consider withholding your tax payments from those. You also have the option of simply making quarterly estimated tax payments if withholding is not an option.

2. Transfer Your Pension To Avoid Added Tax Cost

If you do have retirement income from a pension plan, make sure to structure the transfer of your pension into an IRA as a direct rollover to avoid an additional tax. Basically, you want to make sure that the check is made out to your IRA and not directly to you, which will ensure that the funds are deposited into your IRA instead of your personal bank account. If you don’t structure your pension plan to disperse your money in this way, the company responsible for your pension payments is required to withhold 20 percent of the funds for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). When this happens, the IRS will likely see fit to assess a tax to this 20 percent, effectively shrinking your retirement nest egg.

3. Don’t Miss Exclusive Tax Benefits

Retirees are eligible to receive a few nice tax incentives – perhaps to offset your new responsibility of paying your own quarterly estimated taxes and transferring your pension plan payments. Either way, these tax breaks are nothing to grumble about. Here are three tax facts to get you started:

If you turned 65 during 2014, your standard deduction increased by $1,550. This means that you can claim $7,750 instead of the $6,200 standard deduction allowed for those younger than 65.

For the next three years, taxpayers older than 65 are eligible to receive a reduced phase out of their medical expenses. Those who are older than 65 can deduct qualifying medical expenses to that exceed 7.5 percent of their adjusted gross income. Those younger than 65 can deduct qualifying medical expenses that exceed 10 percent of their adjusted gross income.

Self-employed individuals who have Medicare Part B, Part D or supplemental Medicare policies are eligible to claim an above-the-line deduction for these costs.

You have spent so many years putting in long hours, stressing over money and putting your wants and needs second. Retirement is your time. Make sure you are in control of your finances – and your future. Email Rea & Associates to learn how to make your money go further in retirement.

Have you been (or suspect you’ve been) a victim of identity theft and refund fraud? Rea & Associates recently compiled a variety of information that will help you recover from this nightmarish scenario.

Suspecting, and then confirming, that you’ve had your identity stolen is a nightmarish scenario. It combines one of your worst fears, losing your wallet or purse, with all of the work of replacing the things that were lost. It can be so overwhelming you might be wondering: “Where do I even start?”

An increasing number of identity thefts are first identified when a thief attempts to file a tax return on your behalf and claim a federal or state tax refund. To help you navigate some of the issues you may be confronted with, we recently released a compilation of documents and resources.

The documents that are included are intended to help you navigate some of the issues you may be confronted with if you find that you’ve been an identity theft and fraudulent tax return victim.

Beat The Identity Thieves

The guidance includes a variety of valuable information for those who have been (or suspect they’ve been) a victim of identity theft and refund fraud. The following is a brief synopsis of information included in this guide.

The IRS has provided a short list of items for you to complete, which is substantially similar to the items the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) covered in its longer, checklist-style guidance.

The primary item to complete for the IRS is Form 14039 which initiates the IRS fraud protection procedures.

Also included is a form letter, one of several, the IRS may send to a taxpayer if tax return fraud is suspected to be occurring on the account.

The IRS has published a number of articles related to identify theft and how to protect yourself. A master page with links to all these topics is included in this packet. You may also check out some of our recent articles on the topic, which can be found in the “Related Articles” portion of this post.

The process of reporting fraud in Ohio is similar to the IRS procedures.

Ohio also sends form letters to the taxpayer.

Ohio recently added an identity quiz for roughly 50 percent of taxpayers requesting a refund. This letter simply asks the taxpayer to complete a quiz specifically used to prove their identity. Note: This request doesn’t indicate that your identity has been stolen (unless you haven’t filed your tax return for the year yet).

If the Ohio Department of Taxation suspects fraudulent activity on the account, the taxpayer will receive a second letter that will indicate these suspicions.

Ohio includes an affidavit (Form IT TA) that must be filled out to initiate their protection procedures, similar to Federal.

The FTC is the primary federal government agency dealing with identity theft.

The FTC has put together a very detailed, checklist to help you with the identity theft process. The guidance includes information on most forms of identity theft – of which tax identity theft is just one. While this may be more information than you need, if the fraud has gone beyond your tax returns and includes false credit activity (or you are concerned this may happen), this guide will be very useful for you.

The guide includes a wealth of information, such as sample letters and a variety of websites and contact information to relevant organizations that can help you. It also guides you through the process of making a police report in response to the theft of your personal information.

Note: The IRS and the FTC generally do not share data with each other. Therefore if you have completed the IRS identify theft notification procedures, don’t assume that the FTC, credit bureaus, etc., are also aware of your situation.

Check Your Mail, Not Your Caller ID

Remember, the first contact taxpayers will have with the IRS regarding any issue will be in the form of an official mailed letter – not a phone call. These scammers appear to be determined to steal your money and/or your identity and reports of these types of scams continue to be on the rise. By educating yourself, your friends and your family, you are taking a proactive stance against these criminals.

If you would like to learn more about how you can protect yourself against, and recover, from Identity Theft & Refund Fraud, click here to view our compilation of documents and resources. You may also email Rea & Associates for more information.

There is no way to completely protect yourself and your network, but there are ways to preempt an attack against you and your business.

How much would you pay to regain access to your company’s network if it was compromised and held for ransom? Are you willing to shell hundreds of dollars to take your information back from a cybercriminal, or are you willing (and able) to just walk away and start anew? I wish I were asking hypothetical questions but, unfortunately, the increased popularity of Ransomware has made the risk of such an attack a very, very real possibility.

Sandra Ponczkowski, a manager of the IT security company KnowBe4, recently shared Your Money or Your Life Files, a whitepaper that details the history and real threat of Ransomware, a computer infection that encrypts all files of known file types on your local computer and server shared drives. Once infected, it becomes impossible for you to access your documents or applications that use these encrypted files. The only way to recover from such an infection is to either restore your machine by using backup media, or accommodating the hacker’s demands and paying their ransom.

Unfortunately, I know of several situations where the businesses involved in a Ransomware attack had no choice but to pay ransom demands to the cybercriminal. The silver lining for these companies was that, upon paying the ransom, they were able to obtain the assailant’s encryption key code, which allowed them to unencrypt their data and regain access to their data.

Long-term protection, however, cannot be guaranteed and there is a chance that your data can be held for ransom again.

The literature provided by KnowBe4 details the fluency with which the popular Ransomware infection CryptoLocker changes and adapts once a solution to unencrypt infected data files becomes available. When this happens, the CryptoLocker infection will evolve into a new strain, thus making the previous solution unusable.

While there is no way to completely protect yourself and your network, there are ways to preempt an attack against you and your business. I recommend the following best practices.

Train yourself and your employees about computer safety practices.

Complete a yearly review of your employee’s access rights to company-owned computers, server folders and backup media. For example, only a few, strategic employees should have access to the company’s folders and data. As a general rule, employee access should be restricted to include only the programs and software required for them to do their jobs. This also applies to work-from-home employees who typically attach a USB drive to their machines for backup protection.

If you don’t already, put a disaster recovery in place and test it ever year to ensure accuracy and completeness.

Following these practices should make your business’s Ransomware prevention and recovery much easier. Email Rea & Associates to learn find out more about the importance of protecting your company’s online security.

According to officials at the Ohio Department of Taxation, while the new Identification Confirmation Quiz may be a pain in the neck, it appears to be working as a identity theft deterrent – Rea & Associates – Ohio CPA Firm

In an effort to boost security and prevent tax-fraud in the state, the Ohio Department of Taxation introduced the quiz at the onset of the 2015 tax season and began flagging tax returns with data points that are inconsistent with public and commercial data sources. If their returns are flagged, taxpayers are required to take a Quiz to prove their identities.

“Through Feb. 18, more than 1.3 million tax returns have been filed with about 874,000 requesting a state income tax refund. About half of the refund requests have been selected for additional screening to ensure that they were not filed by an I.D. thief,” stated Ohio’s Tax Commissioner Joe Testa in a press release. “About 97 percent of taxpayers taking the quiz are passing. That proves they are who they say they are.”

That means about 3 percent who fail the test are being declined to receive refunds that they would have normally received in previous years. As long as that 3 percent consists of actual identity thieves, the results reported are significant.

If you made a donation to a nonprofit organization last year, it’s almost guaranteed that you are eligible to deduct at least a portion of your contribution from your income.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reported earlier this month that nearly 59 million 2014 federal tax returns have been filed so far this filing season. While that may sound like a lot, there’s still a ways to go as, according to IRS estimates, three of five taxpayers are still waiting to file. For those of you still working on your tax prep, there is still time to claim some valuable deductions. Here are five deduction options to help small businesses make the most of the 2015 filing season:

1. Ohio Small Business Deduction

Many small business owners in Ohio are eligible to receive help from the state on their 2014 tax returns through the Ohio Small Business Deduction. Initiated by Ohio Gov. John Kasich and considered to be “the largest overall tax reduction in the country,” the deduction allows eligible small businesses to take a 50 percent tax deduction on their first $250,000 of business income. However, for the 2014 taxable year only, that percentage was increased to become a 75 percent deductionof “net business income from an individual’s adjusted gross income reported on their Ohio personal income tax return.” Your financial advisor can help you learn more about the Ohio Small Business deduction and help you take your business strategy to the next level.

2. Section 179 Deduction

When Congress voted in favor of the Tax Extenders Act late last year, among the many tax incentives that were extended included an action to retroactively reinstate the $500,000 depreciation limit on the Section 179 deduction as well as the 50 percent bonus depreciation. Together, these tax incentives have the potential to save you and your company hundreds of thousands of dollars on equipment purchases. Limits and restrictions do apply, however, so make sure to work with a trusted advisor who can make sure your purchases actually qualify.

3. Personal Vehicle Deduction

If you drive your personal vehicle for business, then you may be able to deduct the expenses related to your car or truck as long as the vehicle was actually used for business purposes and not just commuting. A professional advisor can help you determine if you qualify to claim the deduction and can help determine which deduction method is the best one to use given your personal circumstances.

4. Stock Gains Deduction

Some qualified businesses may also be able to exclude the gains generated by qualified small business stock per provision IRC Sec. 1202. Originally passed by Congress in the 1990s, this provision was designed to help reinvigorate the importance of continued investment into our country’s small business infrastructure. This incentive is a little more difficult than some of the others, but if you qualify, you could realize significant savings. Because of the complicated nature of this particular provision, it is essential that you work with a tax advisor to find out if you qualify.

5. Charitable Giving Deduction

If you make a donation to a nonprofit organization during the year, it is almost guaranteed that you will be able to deduct at least a portion of your contribution from your income. But there are rules that need to be adhered to. A good financial advisor can help you get the maximum benefit for every dollar donated.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have taken steps to create a special enrollment period to allow individuals and families to secure 2015 health insurance coverage through the federal marketplace. – Rea & Associates – Ohio CPA Firm

Did you get hit with the “shared responsibility payment” for not carrying health insurance on yourself or your family members in 2014? If so, you’re not alone.

Americans who were unaware of (or who simply didn’t understand) the fees they would be subjected to as a result of not carrying health insurance coverage may have been equally surprised to learn that the open enrollment period to obtain coverage for 2015 closed last month – meaning that even if they wanted to avoid the fees next year, they were out of luck. Fortunately, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) realized this dilemma and took steps to create a special enrollment period to allow individuals and families in this bind to secure 2015 health insurance coverage through the federal marketplace. This will be a big help to those who may have found out that they were eligible for premium subsidies to help pay for insurance – a little too late. The new open enrollment period is March 15, 2015, through April 30, 2015, and is only available for individuals and/or families that:

Are not currently enrolled in federally-facilitated coverage for 2015,

Had to pay an individual mandate on Form 1040 of their 2014 tax return, and

Live in a state with a federally-facilitated exchange (Ohio residents qualify. Those who do not live in Ohio may click here for a full list of other qualified states).

According to CMS, eligible enrollees also must “attest that they first became aware of, or understood the implications of, the Shared Responsibility Payment after the end of open enrollment in connection with preparing their 2014 taxes.” “We recognize that this is the first tax filing season where consumers may have to pay a fee or claim an exemption for not having health insurance coverage,” sad CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner in a press release. “Our priority is to make sure consumers understand the new requirement to enroll in health coverage and to provide those who were not aware or did not understand the requirement with an opportunity to enroll in affordable coverage this year.” Note that even if you don’t qualify for this open enrollment, there are a number of qualifying events that let you sign up for coverage on the exchange any time of year. If you want to know whether you qualify for subsidies to help shoulder the burden of health insurance, click here. Or you can email Rea & Associates for any Affordable Care Act questions.

Singer David Lee Roth once said he “found the SIMPLE life ain’t so simple.: We think the same can be said about retirement plan compliance.Pictured above: David Lee Roth performs with classic rock band Van Halen during a concert in 2012. Photo by Robert Yager

While I don’t really believe David Lee Roth and Van Halen were thinking about SEP or SIMPLE IRA retirement plans when they performed their 1978 classic rock song, “Runnin’ with the Devil,” the connection between the two is an easy one to make.

“I found the SIMPLE life ain’t so simple”

The many small business clients we work with who choose to sponsor these types of retirement plans do so because they are inexpensive to administer and they enable our clients to provide a reasonable retirement benefit for themselves and to their employees. However, these plans are far from simple to operate and, if you’re not on your game, can be full of costly traps. The “Devil” is in the details as they say.

Top 5 SEP and SIMPLE Compliance Failures

Here is a rundown of the top five compliance failures we see. If not identified and corrected in a timely manner, these compliance concerns can result in the loss of favorable tax benefits for you and your employees or potentially large penalties and corrective contributions for your business.

No Current Plan Document – All retirement plans require a governing document that identifies the plan sponsor (and any related employers) and defines the plan’s terms. The IRS provides a model document for you to use for these types of plans, but you have to complete it and keep it in your plan files.

All Employees are Not Covered – Both SEPs and SIMPLE plans require that all employees (including employees of related employers) meeting a minimum eligibility requirement be covered and that they receive the same contribution (as a percentage of their compensation). Other than for minimal service and age requirements specified in the plan document, no other employees may be excluded.

Using the Wrong Definition of Compensation – Compensation used to determine the contributions that need to be made to the plan generally includes all wages, bonuses, tips, commissions and any elective salary deferral contributions, and is limited to a certain dollar amount depending on the year (for 2014 the limit was $260,000).

Untimely Employee Notices and No Summary Plan Description – Sponsors of SIMPLE IRA plans need to tell employees before the beginning of each year whether they intend to make a match contribution or a profit sharing contribution . Eligible employees must also receive a summary of the basic SEP or SIMPLE plan provisions.

Untimely Remittance of Employee Salary Deferrals – All employee contributions must be remitted to the IRA of each participant within 30 days after the month in which the employee would have otherwise received the money.

A great time to review your compliance with retirement laws and regulations is during tax time at year end. Whether you need help understanding your plan design options or compliance requirements as a retirement plan sponsor, help is available. Email Rea & Associates for more information.

Is it a better business strategy to enter into a sale-leaseback transaction on your current office building or other business property? Make sure you know the pros and cons before making any decisions – Rea & Associates – Ohio CPA Firm

Are you looking for a plan to increase your business’s cash flow? If you own business property, you may be able to benefit by entering into a sale-leaseback transaction. But while there several great benefits to this type of agreement, there are also some significant drawbacks. So, before you draw up the paperwork, schedule a time to meet with your financial advisor to find out if the benefit outweighs the risk.

Advantages Of A Sale-Leaseback Transaction

A sale-leaseback transaction occurs when you, the real estate owner and occupier, sell your property to a third party on the condition that they agree to lease the property to you. Entering into this type of arrangement has several benefits, including increasing your business’ cash flow while freeing your business up to allocate the capital to other areas of your business. Additional benefits include:

As the seller and eventual lessor, you essentially maintain control of the property, which prevents operational disruptions from occurring.

Assuming the current property is financed with debt, this long-term debt can be eliminated from the balance sheet under certain lease arrangements.

From a tax perspective, you gain an additional annual “write-off” for the portion of rent related to the land (as land is not depreciated).

Drawbacks Of A Sale-Leaseback Transaction

Perhaps the most significant disadvantage of entering into this type of agreement is that you stand to lose the flexibility that comes with owning the property outright since these transactions usually are for longer terms than a typical property lease (15 or more years). The typical sale-leaseback transaction takes the form of a “triple net lease,” which usually states that you, as the tenant, will be responsible for the net real estate taxes, net building insurance and net common area maintenance. Other disadvantages include:

The loss of the real estate’s appreciation value over the course of a lengthy lease term.

Significant income tax impact that comes in to play when a property’s sale price significantly exceeds the property’s “book value.” This typically occurs when you are selling a property that has been owned for a long period of time prior to the sale.

A decrease in your Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) as your depreciation expense on the property is replaced by the rent expense.

The financial benefits of sale-leasebacks must be balanced with your unique strategic and operating considerations. A financial advisor and business consultant can help identify whether this option is right for you and your business. Email Rea & Associates to learn more about sale-leaseback transactions and other strategic business decisions. By Ben Antonelli, CPA (Dublin office)

Amazon purchases aren’t the only ones to consider when you sit down to file your tax return this year. Other popular online retailers and groups, including Etsy, are also depending on their consumers to pay use taxes on the products they sell. – Rea & Associates – Ohio CPA Firm

If you are one of the millions of people who love to browse and buy online, it may shock you to learn that the Ohio Department of Taxation is looking at you to declare and pay a little more when you go to file your 2014 tax return. From gifts to grocery shopping, many of us use the ease of online shopping to snag a good deal and avoid the hassle of braving the brick-and-mortar shops – especially during the holidays, but sometimes that convenience might come at a price.

Were you charged sales tax for that pair of shoes you bought last October or those books you had shipped to your house in June? If the company you made purchases from doesn’t have facilities in the state or a law that requires it to collect sales taxes for your state, then it’s likely you owe use tax to Ohio – and you have to report your use tax on Line 19 of your Ohio Form IT 1040.

Use Tax Is Not A New Tax

Declaring and paying sales and use tax on your state tax return is not a new responsibility. The Ohio Department of Taxation states that “in transactions where sales tax was due but not collected by the vendor or seller, a use tax of equal amount is due from the consumer.” In Ohio, the use tax rate is the same as sales tax rate you would have paid if sales tax was correctly charged by the vendor. This is usually the place of purchase (or your home address for shipments from outside Ohio). You can read Ohio’s use tax law in its entirety here.

As a courtesy, Amazon provides a brief explanation of the consumer’s responsibility to pay use tax on its website. Because Amazon suspects its customers aren’t keeping a file of receipts, the online retailer provides customers with the option to create and download an Order History Report, which compiles your download, shipment, return and refund activity and can be used to help calculate use tax.

But your Amazon purchases aren’t the only ones to consider when you sit down to file your tax return this year. Other popular online retailers and groups, including Etsy, are also depending on their consumers to pay use taxes on the products they sell. So make sure you take a second look at that packing slip and receipt.

Little Box, Big Pause

While the responsibility of paying use tax isn’t new, this is the first year taxpayers in Ohio are required to certify their use tax claim before filing their return with the state. If you didn’t shop online or make a “sales tax-free” purchase, you should have nothing to worry about – simply check the box and continue on. On the other hand, if you did partake in online retail therapy in 2014 and don’t have your receipts handy, you may have to pause your tax preparation to give yourself a little more time to find out what you owe.

Computer company Lenovo informed the public that desktop and laptop devices it sold between September 2015 and January 2015 may have arrived to users loaded with an extra (and unwelcome) feature – SuperFish. Users should not enter secure information on their device until they are certain that their security was not compromised.

If you purchased a Lenovo desktop or laptop between September 2014 and January 2015 you could be susceptible to “SuperFish” – adware that can be found lurking in the depths of your device.

Capable of hijacking Internet traffic data typically used for securing Internet transactions, SuperFish was installed on Lenovo devices by the manufacturer per an agreement with Superfish Advertising, a third-party software developer based out of Palo Alto, Calif.

“In our effort to enhance our user experience, we pre-installed a piece of third-party software … on some of our consumer notebooks. The goal was to improve the shopping experience using their virtual discovery techniques,” said the company in a prepared statement. “In reality, we had customer complaints about the software. … We stopped the preloads beginning in January. We shut down the server connections that enable the software (also in January), and we are providing online resources to help users remove this software.”

Until you are certain that your Lenovo system is safe from adware, refrain from online banking, making online purchases or engaging in any other online activity were security is critical.

Unfortunately, in his article about the Lenovo crisis, Zack Wittaker cites ZDNet’s Chris Duckett as saying that “the only confirmed way of completely removing SuperFish appears to be reinstalling Windows … or moving to another operating system entirely” as simply uninstalling the adware may not remove the root certificate authority.

According to reports from IDC Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker and Gartner, Lenovo shipped more than 16 million desktops and notebooks worldwide during the fourth quarter of 2014. Lenovo’s statement indicates that following models may have been effected:

Do you provide health care benefits to a few of your employees and not others? This is an eligibility and richness of benefits issue. You may find yourself at risk for eligibility discrimination if, for example, you offer coverage only to the owner and an employee or two and not to the rest of your team. You also run into problems if you are found to be discriminating in the benefits your company provides. An example could be if you offer your management group 100 percent of premiums paid by the company and only offer your staff 50 percent of premiums paid. This is not related to the 50 full-time equivalent (FTE) large employer status.

While it might be possible to set up a plan to comply with the tax non-discrimination rules where employees throughout the company are offered different benefits, you also have to navigate through federal and state insurance laws and other Department of Labor regulations – the short answer is just don’t do it! The penalty for non-compliance is $100 per failure per day.

Do You Qualify For The Self-Insured Health Deduction?

Are you seeking to claim the self-insured health deduction (SIHD) on your 1040? If so, one of the following statements must be true:

You were self- employed and had a net profit for the year. (Profits should be reported on Schedule C, C-EZ or F).

You were a partner with net earnings from self-employment.

You received wages in 2014 from an S corporation in which you:

– Owned more than 2 percent of shares and– Health insurance premiums paid or reimbursed by the S corporation are shown as wages on Form W-2.

Easy enough … until it isn’t.

S Corps: Catch 22

If you are basing your self-insured health deduction on only the S Corp eligibility criterion above, you have to be very careful to a.) not violate ACA non-discrimination and, b.) maintain your eligibility for the self-insured health deduction.

In order to get the self-insured health deduction, S Corp either needs to pay directly or reimburse the owner and include the amount on form W-2. Whichever of those two choices the S Corp makes, the S Corp is providing coverage to that owner. And, if you remember in the non-discrimination section above, ALL employees of the S Corp must receive the same benefit in order to comply with the non-discrimination rule. So by doing the actions required to get that owner eligibly for the self-insured health deduction, S Corp is covered by the ACA non-discrimination testing and it had better be sure to offer coverage to everybody.

And if you think you can just get around the rule by simply increasing wages in lieu of paying for or reimbursing shareholder’s premiums, you’re wrong. Doing this will put you at odds of the self-insured health deduction eligibility rules, making it impossible for your shareholders to claim the deduction.

Let this be your guide:

A shareholder of an S corporation (who doesn’t have a schedule C or one of the other SIHD criteria) will not be able to take the self-insured health deduction unless the S corporation is providing similar coverage to ALL other S corporation employees AND is including the amounts paid directly to the insurance provider or in payments reimbursed to the shareholder on Form W-2.

Remember, you do have options. A tax professional can help identify yours. Email Rea & Associates to learn more.

While you should never consider a phone interview to be a shortcut, with a little practice and preparation a brief phone screen can be an effective hiring tool.

We’ve all been there. You need to hire a new employee – fast. But you dread the process of advertising for the position and being inundated with countless inquiries and resumes. Going through the process of finding the right employee for the job can be a huge time commitment for everyone involved. And, let’s face it; if you had the time needed to properly filter candidates you wouldn’t be looking to hire a new employee in the first place. For those in need of a better way to winnow the applicant pool, help may be closer than you think.

Instead of filling your calendar with interviews, why not pick up the phone instead.

A brief phone interview is a great tool for employers. Not only does this method of communication allow you to assess their interest in the position, it helps you identify whether the candidate demonstrates specific professional qualities that you are looking for in an employee.

“A good initial phone screen can reveal a wealth of important information, including a candidates skills, experience, motivation, professionalism and salary expectations,” stated Kathryn Tyler in an article about pre-employment screening for the Society of Human Resources Management. “Phone screens can also give under-the-radar applicants – those who might be overlooked if HR were doing only in-person interviews – an opportunity to shine.”

When its time to bring in a new employee, make sure to use all the tools available to you to ensure the person you hire is truly the best fit for the job. A phone screen is just one of your many, many options. Email Rea & Associates to learn more about hiring top-notch employees and the overall impact they have on your company’s bottom line.

Cash flow is arguably more important to your company’s success than your bottom line because it takes your past, present and future projections into consideration to arrive at a comprehensive analysis of your financial wellness.

Spring is the season of renewal. It’s the time of year when we emerge from our dens to enjoy warmer weather, the melting of snow and an abundance of greenery as nature appears to come alive. Spring is also an opportune time in the business world. And before we lose ourselves in the hustle and bustle of increased production and revamped initiatives, take this time to review and solidify your company’s cash flow projection.

Managing your cash flow now will help minimize mistakes later – when business and economic trends become more favorable. Still not convinced? Here are five more reasons to consider maintaining your company’s cash flow projection.

5 Reasons Why Managing A Solid Cash Flow Is Just Good Business Sense

A cash flow projection will provide you with the information you need to make better, more lucrative decisions. For example, if you had insight into which of your company’s non-core assets are viable would you make changes to support future growth or would you simply maintain the status quo? With a well-maintained cash flow projection at your fingertips you can make decisions that will help secure a more lucrative future for your company.

If you’re looking for a way to hold you and your team accountable for the company’s success and failures, look no further than your cash flow model. This tool can help you fine-tune your management strategy, which can help you and your team achieve better quality standards, increased production, enhanced efficiency and an improved reaction time.

Your cash flow strategies can empower your team to take further ownership of their work and pride in the company. When they have a chance to see that their actions influence how well the business does as a whole they will be more likely to seek out opportunities for improvement.

When you have a cash flow projection then you have the tool needed to develop timely and attainable goals. When you have a better idea as to how much money is going out and coming in (and why), you and your management team can put plans in place to better manage the company’s cash flow in a more favorable way.

Are you managing cash that you acquired from an external source? Will you manage acquired cash in the future? Stakeholders love cash flow projections because they provide them with the information they need to monitor their investment. Oftentimes banks require you to provide quarterly financial information to prove that you’re complying with the terms of the loan package.

Cash flow is arguably more important to your company’s success than your bottom line because it takes your past, present and future projections into consideration to arrive at a compressive analysis of your financial wellness. Email Rea & Associates to learn more about the importance of cash flow projections and how you can use yours as a valuable management tool.

Avoid problems with the Department of Labor, make sure you know the ERISA fidelity bonding requirements.

If your company offers a retirement plan to its employees, make sure you are familiar with the Employee Retirement Income Security Act’s (ERISA) fidelity bonding requirements and the information you must include on your plan’s annual Form 5500.

Over the years we have noticed that many clients struggle with obtaining and keeping an active and accurate ERISA fidelity bond because of a general lack of understanding. The purpose of the fidelity bond is to protect your plan’s assets from the risk of loss due to fraud or dishonesty by employees handling the plan’s funds, such as when remitting plan contributions.

The required bonding amount is “10 percent of plan assets handled.” Because this is a difficult number to know with certainty, most plan trustee’s make sure the plan is bonded for at least 10 percent of all plan assets. This means that as your plan’s assets grow, so does your required bonding amount. There are two primary exceptions to this rule:

If your plan has more than 5 percent non-qualifying plan assets, then a bond is needed to cover the amount of non-qualifying plan assets.

“Non-qualifying plan assets” includes anything that is not a marketable security held by a bank, trust company, registered broker-dealer or insurance company.

If a bond in the correct amount is not established, then an independent plan audit by a certified public accountant is required. These audits cost about $10,000 annually.

Even if your plan only contains qualifying plan assets, not maintaining a fidelity bond in the proper amount can be a red flag to the Department of Labor, which could prompt them to take a closer look at your plan.

NOTE: A fidelity bond is different than fiduciary insurance. Fiduciary insurance is not required, but should be in place to protect your plan fiduciaries from personal risk of loss. Your plan fiduciaries include any employee who serves as a plan trustee or who is on a plan investment committee tasked with ensuring that your plan is free from errors or omissions that could result in loss to your plan. Plan fiduciaries are personally liable for these potential losses, so having fiduciary insurance coverage is prudent (albeit not required).

If the proposed two-year state budget proposal passes, oil and gas produced by horizontal wells will be taxed at a 6.5 percent tax rate for product sold at the wellhead. If sold downstream, a 4.5 percent tax will be applied.

Since it was unveiled last month, Gov. John Kasich’s proposed two-year state budget has many individuals, businesses, school districts, not-for-profit organizations and others scrambling to find out how his proposed tax reform package will affect them. In his recommendation, Gov. Kasich says his proposal seeks to “create more opportunities for each and every Ohioan.” To this end, the budget focuses on four primary objectives:

To ensure that students are ready for college and careers

To help more students get degrees

To cut and reform taxes

To help Ohioans move up and out of poverty and into jobs

To achieve these goals, Gov. Kasich has proposed implementation of several tactics to help fund his $35.5 billion 2016 budget, which is up 15.5 percent over the state’s projected spending in fiscal year 2015. Of those tactics, a slew of tax cuts and increases are central to his budget initiative. The following points address some primary changes Ohioans can expect to see if Gov. Kasich’s 2016-2017 budget plan is approved.

Proposed Tax Cuts

A 23 percent across-the-board income tax rate reduction. This proposed cut would drop the top income tax rate to 4.1 percent, the current from 5.33 percent.

Business owners of pass-through entities with gross receipts less than $2 million will pay no income tax on their business income.

Other Ohio business owners will see the 50 percent reduction incentive on income that totals $250,000 and less become permanent.

Individuals who earn less than $40,000 will see a $1,600 increase in their personal exemption (from $2,400 to $4,000). The personal exemption for those who make between $40,000 and $80,000 will increase by $900 (from $1,950 to $2,850).

Proposed Tax Increases

The commercial activity tax (CAT), which is measured by a business’s gross receipts on business activities in the state, will increase 0.6 percent to 0.32 percent.

The state’s sales tax will increase to 6.25 percent. The current sales tax rate is 5.75 percent and would be expanded to include management consulting, lobbying, market research and opinion polling, public relations, debt collection services, cable subscriptions and parking and travel services.

Means-tested tax credits and exemptions for retired taxpayers who earn more than $100,000.

Oil and gas produced by horizontal wells will be taxed at a 6.5 percent tax rate for product sold at the wellhead. If sold downstream, a 4.5 percent tax will be applied.

The state currently reduces the price paid for the new car or boat by the value of the trade-in. The proposal calls for a 50 percent deduction in this exemption.

The discount vendors receive for collecting, reporting and remitting sales tax will be capped at $1,000 per month.

Remember when writing a check to a charity left you with a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment? Unfortunately that feeling has been replaced with vulnerability and uncertainty as soliciting for fake charities has become a common way for scammers to prey on the generosity of strangers. Before you tear that check from your checkbook, take another look at the “Pay to the Order Of” line. That person who just spent the last 15 minutes explaining why your donation is critical to their organization might have less-than-admirable intentions.

Every year the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) warns taxpayers about what it considers to be the “Dirty Dozen” of tax scams. The annual report identifies schemes that appear to be more prevalent during filing season. And while you may be inclined to use some of your refund to help a worthwhile charity, the IRS reminds taxpayers to remain vigilant against scammers “masquerading as a charitable organization to attract donations from unsuspecting contributors” – particularly this time of year when scammers appear to be more active.

If you are approached by somebody who claims to be soliciting money for charity, here are a few tips to ensure that your money will be used for a worthwhile cause.

What’s In A Name?

Sometimes fake charities will adopt a name that’s similar to one you are sure to recognize and consider to be a respected organization within your community or nationwide. Even if you are confident that the not-for-profit you are about to donate to is reputable, a quick online search can remove any doubt. The IRS provides access to a search tool designed to help the public identify valid charitable organizations. You can also find registered 501(c)(3) organizations on Guidestar, an online tool that provides users with data and information about tax-exempt organizations and other faith-based nonprofits, community foundations and other groups typically not required to register with the IRS.

Keep Personal Information Private

Nonprofit organizations do not need your Social Security Number to complete the transaction, nor do they need to retain it for their files. So if someone claims to represent a charity and asks for any of your personal information (including passwords) – don’t give it to them! Scammers use this information to steal their victim’s identity. Protect yourself from fraud and remember to keep your personal information private.

Where’s The Proof?

When you make a decision to donate to a tax-exempt organization, make sure to have proof of the transaction. For your own security – and for tax record purposes – you should never make a cash donation. Use a check or credit card every time you give money to charity. Doing so not only proves that you made the donation; it will help you claim the contribution on next year’s tax return.

Ask An Expert

A trusted advisor can help you identify whether a particular charitable organization is reputable or not and can help you make the most of your donated dollars. Email Rea & Associates for more information.

Families of all kinds can take advantage of a variety of tax incentives, which can ease some of the financial burden.

With parenthood comes many rewarding experiences – and expenses. You hear about how expensive it is to raise a child, but you never really know what to expect until that little bundle of joy enters your life. From diapers, pre-school, extracurricular activities and saving for college, the costs of raising kids adds up fast. My wife and I welcomed our daughter into our family last year; and this life-changing event got me thinking: What tax breaks are available to families?

Relief for New Parents

Families of all kinds can take advantage of a variety of tax incentives, which can ease some of the financial burden. From deductions to credits, this list will give you a good idea as to what is available to you.

Adoption Credit

– A credit of up to $13,190 – dollar for dollar of qualified expenses – is available to families who have adopted children.

– Adopting a child with special needs results in the full credit amount regardless of whether qualifying expenses were made.

Child Credit/Additional Child Credit/Dependent

– Child Credit – This credit applies to up to $1,000 for qualifying children younger than 17. This credit is generally non-refundable, but the taxpayer may be able to qualify for the additional child credit if he/she has enough earned income.

– Additional Child Credit – Part of the child credit may be refundable for taxpayers with more than $3,000 worth of earned income.

– Dependent – Each child listed on a tax return may be eligible to be listed as a dependent, which results in an additional $3,950 exemption per dependent.

Earned Income Credit

– This is one of the largest credits available to taxpayers and claiming it can save you thousands of dollars in taxes. Taxpayers with three or more children and who have earned income as high as $52,427 may qualify for the earned income credit. This credit generally decreases with fewer qualifying children or for those with higher income levels.

More To Know As They Grow

In addition to child and earned income credits, here are some additional ways to save on your taxes as your children continue to grow.

Dependent Care Credit

– This non-refundable credit goes toward a portion of a dependent’s child care expenses. Common qualifying expenses include day care, pre-school, day camps and similar programs.

Preempting College Costs

– Education Savings Accounts allow taxpayers to contribute up to $2,000 per year for children younger than 17. While there are no tax benefits for the year of the contribution, distributions toward qualified higher education expenses (including earnings on contributions) are tax-free. Taxes and penalties may apply if the funds are not used for qualified education expenses.

– State College Savings (529 plans) allow taxpayers to make contributions to an investment account and take a deduction toward their state income tax. (There is no federal income tax deduction available when taking this option.) Similar to education savings accounts, taxes and penalties may apply to funds used on unqualified expenses.

Flexible Spending Plans

– If you have a flexible spending plan through your employer, remember that your child-related medical expenses qualify under the plan too. The funds you already contribute to your plan are deducted pre-tax up to certain thresholds. But don’t forget to use the entire amount withheld in your plan before March 15 of the following year or you will lose it.

The College Years

It probably seems like it was just yesterday that your son or daughter was crawling across the living room floor – now you are preparing to send them off to college. But just because they are all grown up doesn’t mean that the tax incentives end. Here are some tax perks to help during your child’s transition into adulthood:

Dependency Extension

– You can claim your child as a dependent until they are 19-years-old as long as you continue to provide more than half of their support and they lived with you for more than half the year. You may also continue to claim your child if they are younger than 24 and a full-time student.

Tax Relief For Education

When it comes to paying for higher education, there are a few opportunities for tax relief. Below are a few of your options. Remember that you may only claim one of these options. A financial advisor can help you determine which option is right for you.

– You can claim the American Opportunity Credit for up to $2,500 (100 percent of the first $2,000 and 25 percent of next $2,000) for qualified education expenses. This tax credit is only available for undergraduate students. Qualified expenses include tuition, fees, books, supplies, etc. This credit is also 40 percent refundable.

– Qualified education expenses, such as tuition, fees, books, etc., qualify you to claim the Lifetime Learning Credit, which could total up to $2,000 (20 percent of up to $10,000). Even though this credit is entirely nonrefundable, it helps reduce your tax bill.

– If you are paying for tuition, fees, books and other school supplies for your student, you may find this above the line deduction of up to $4,000 for these expenses to be beneficial.

Student Loan Relief

– Help is also available to those making payments on student loans. An above the line deduction of up to $2,500 is available for interest paid on education loans.

In addition to being expensive, taking care of children can be confusing at times. Claiming these tax deductions and tax credits doesn’t have to be. Email Rea & Associates to learn more.

Deducting expenses related to your car or truck is an allowable business expense – as long as the vehicle is used for business purposes.

If you are one of the many men and women who drive their personal vehicles for business, don’t forget to claim the appropriate tax deduction on your tax return – the savings just might help you keep more cash in your bank account and more gas in your tank.

Here’s what you need to know. …

Deducting expenses related to your car or truck is an allowable business expense – as long as the vehicle is used for business purposes. And if you use it exclusively for business purposes, you may be able to deduct the full cost of your vehicle. But before you start claiming deductions on your tax return, make sure you understand what the IRS considers to be a valid business purpose. Hint: Commuting from your home to work is not considered a valid business purpose.

When To Claim A Deduction

Do – claim a deduction if you use your vehicle for travel between two places of business.

Do – claim travel expenses that result from traveling from one job to another, traveling from one customer or client to another and traveling from your office or business location to perform other business tasks.

Do – claim your travel expenses that accrue between your home and a business destination if you have a home office that is considered your primary place of business.

Which Deduction Is Better?

There are many factors to consider when choosing a deduction method that will result in the most tax savings. The two biggest factors are the cost of the vehicle and how many business miles you drive each year. Here are the nuts and bolts of your two options:

Standard Mileage Method – If you keep good notes, then you may prefer the standard mileage method to keep track of your deduction. Here’s how it works: Start by keeping a log or a journal of all your business trips – include who, what, when and where. Then add up all the miles you racked up on your trips and multiply that number by the IRS’s standard mileage rate – which currently stands at 57.5 cents per mile. For example: if you were to drive 15,000 business miles over the year, you can multiply that number by 57.5 cents per mile to claim an $8,625 deduction.

Actual Costs Method – This method requires that you to keep track of all costs associated with your vehicle, including depreciation, repairs, maintenance, gas, tires, etc. When you have collected all these costs and arrived at a total, multiply this number by the percentage of time the vehicle is used for business purposes. Your deduction is limited to the percentage of time the vehicle was used for business purposes.

So, which deduction method is better?

Say you purchased a car for $30,000 and you use it exclusively for business purposes. You have figured that you drive about 10,000 miles for business each year. If you use the standard mileage method, you could claim a $5,750 deduction each year. But if you were to use the actual costs method, instead you would find that during the first five years of owning the car the actual vehicle expenses significantly add up to a larger tax deduction.

If you use your vehicle for business purposes, a financial advisor can help you identify the best route to maximize your tax savings. Email Rea & Associates to learn more.

Now that the official 2015 tax season is upon us, you may be going through the process of checking off the laundry list of forms you need to have on hand to file your 2014 tax return. (If you still aren’t sure what files to gather, you can find a thorough checklist here.) While you’re collecting your W-2s and 1099s, don’t forget Form 1099-MISC, which is the form to use if you have used virtual currency over the last year.

The IRS informed taxpayers of the proper way to report virtual currency such as Bitcoin last year. Because the value of virtual currency is converted to the value of real currency, for tax purposes, Bitcoin and other virtual currencies are considered capital assets by the IRS. Therefore, these forms of currency are subject to capital gains rules for any applicable gains or losses that may accrue.

Capital gains rates are more favorable than normal tax rates. For most taxpayers, the rate will be no more than 15 percent. However, if you are in one of the following categories, you will be taxed at 20 percent:

If you earned more than $406,750 in taxable income

If you are married and filing jointly and earned more than $457,600

If you’re the head of your household and earned more than $432,200

If you’re married, but filing separately and earned more than $228,800

Do you treat Bitcoin as an investment?

If you buy and sell virtual currency, the IRS will treat it as if you were buying and selling stock. You will be required to report the cost basis of the transaction, also known as the difference between the cash price and the futures price of stock. In addition to being taxed at a lower capital gains rate, losses can cancel out any gains. And left-over losses can be deducted from your regular income.

Do you use Bitcoin like cash?

From ordering a pizza to shopping for a new computer, the transactions you make online with Bitcoin may result in gains or losses as well – although determining the value of a particular item or service based on market value is easier said than done. A financial advisor can help you identify whether you have gains and losses to report to the IRS.

Do you get paid in Bitcoin?

For example, for tax purposes, a babysitter who is paid in Bitcoin is the same as a sitter who’s paid in cash and those earnings must go through the same channels to be considered by the IRS. Payments of virtual currency are required to be reported on Form 1099-MISC or a similar form and must be reported using the fair market value of virtual currency, which should be converted to U.S. dollars.

Late last week, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued a wire transfer scam alert for all small businesses in the United States. According to the FBI alert, between October 2013 and December 2014 a total of 1,198 complaints from U.S.- based companies were received dealing with wire transfer scams. Losses from these incidents totaled more than $179 million. The FBI also reports that the scams can follow a Ransomware incident, and may involve a fraudster contacting a vendor and requesting a change of payment to an alternate fraudster-controlled bank account.

How To Mitigate This Type of Scam

If you’re a small business owner, you may be at risk for this kind of scam. The FBI recommends the following mitigation steps for these types of scams:

Keep all of your anti-virus software up-to-date.

Educate your workforce about security best practices.

Be sure that any changes to payments via electronic transfer are verified with an employee of the bank and at a phone number that you utilize for assistance.